


Red Moon Rising

by Kirabaros



Series: Chronicles of Absolution Season 2 [11]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:16:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 58,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22919086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirabaros/pseuds/Kirabaros
Summary: 2.11. Emotional scars are still fresh as Sam, Dean and Angela stumble across a case that is considered a favor returned. Circumstances will ultimately end up affecting Angela on a personal level resulting in her making the most difficult decision she would ever have to make and the consequences could be disastrous.
Series: Chronicles of Absolution Season 2 [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1013514





	1. Chapter 1

_Now_

The dark, creepy house motif was rather comforting even though what lay beyond the closed door up ahead was not. Taking tentative steps forward, the door was opened and the familiar room of the familiar house was revealed.

Dean was standing there looking at a guy that looked exactly like him. The double looked like him and talked like him but there was a cruelty that was hidden in there. He was saying to Dean, “Joke all you want smartass. But you can’t lie to me. I know the truth. How dead you are inside. How worthless you feel. I know how you look into a mirror and hate what you see.”

Dean tried to be typical Dean fashion about it and replied, “Sorry pal. It’s not gonna work. You’re not real.”

“Sure I am. I’m you.”

The conversation carried on a few minutes until the crux of the issue came to light. Double Dean said, “You’re going to hell and you won’t lift a finger to stop it. Talk about low self-esteem. Then again I guess it’s not much of a life worth saving…”

Dean was desperately trying to convince himself to wake up. The frustration and fear were starting to build. People generally didn’t want to face what scared them or the harshest of ugly truths. Yet Dean seemed to feel like he was getting something that he either refused to acknowledge or was afraid of admitting.

“I mean after all you’ve got nothing outside of Sam or her and she’s the one with the psycho issues. Maybe she attempted it just to make you feel good. After all she is good at doing that.” Double Dean’s voice etched with cruelty and the desire to plant doubts.

“That’s not true,” came the reply almost childlike. “She’s a better person than that.”

“Do you even have an original thought? All there is that you watch out for Sammy! Look out for your little brother boy! You can still hear your dad’s voice in your head clear as a bell. I mean think about it. All he ever did was train you. Boss you around. But Sam… Sam he doted on. Sam he loved.”

Dean was getting visibly angry now. He was telling his double to shut up. He warned him time and time again. It was only a matter of time before it exploded.

“Daddy’s blunt little instrument. Your own father didn’t care whether you lived or died, why should you?”

It was the last straw. Dean snapped, “You sonofabitch! My father was an obsessed bastard! All that crap he dumped on me about protecting Sam? That was his crap! He’s the one that couldn’t protect his family! He’s the one who let Mom Die! Who wasn’t there for Sam! I always was! I didn’t deserve what he put on me and I don’t deserve to go to hell!” To emphasize the point, Dean fired the shotgun at his double aware that the last part of his tirade came from finally acknowledging what she had told him repeatedly.

The double was down and Dean felt the need to add, “And she’s not like that. She thinks I’m worth something.”

As he walked forward to look at his dead double, the eyes opened and they were the familiar inky black. The double sat up and looked blankly at Dean, “You can’t escape me Dean! This is what you’re gonna become.” He then snapped his fingers.

The scene shifted and the car was being packed. Dean lied deliberately to Sam about what he saw. “Nothing. I was looking for you the whole time. “I’ve been doing some thinking and the thing is… I don’t wanna die. I don’t wanna go to hell.”

Sam agreed, “Yeah. We’ll find a way to save you. I know Angie’s been working on that.”

The scene shifted again. Sam was in an empty warehouse. She was there too and it was like watching the scene in slow motion as the cold Sam stabbed Bobby. She couldn’t say anything though she tried. He was shocked that he actually killed Bobby and that he did it right in front of her. He looked at her like he couldn’t believe what he had done. Then a voice entered, “You’re right. I was just screwing with ya. Pretty good though Sam! Smart. Let me tell you, whoever said Dean was the dysfunctional one has never seen you with a sharp object in your hands. Whoa full metal jacket.”

The owner of the voice was not visible but the tone… the tone was familiar. However all eyes were on Sam as he asked the mysterious guy to bring Dean back. When the owner said that Dean was dead and his soul was burning downstairs, Sam almost begged the shadowy blob to return them all to that Wednesday.

“There’s a lesson here. This obsession with saving Dean? The way you two keep sacrificing yourselves for each other? Nothing good comes out of it. Just blood and pain. Dean’s your weakness. Bad guys know it, too. It’s gonna be the death of you, Sam. Sometimes, you just gotta let people go. Your friend knows that lesson well and yet you persist in breaking down that shield.”

She watched as the pain etched on Sam’s face. It hurt too much. It always did when they found a lead and it went nowhere. It hurt that she couldn’t change the council’s mind. It hurt that she was even considering that skank Ruby’s idea and it hurt most of all that she felt powerless and weak.

“You know when I taught you how to manipulate memories to work them out in your dreams, I didn’t intend for you to torture yourself.”

Angela turned away from the frozen scene before her. Every night she did this. She went through her memories over and over again to see if she missed something; if there was a hint within that scene that could give some measure of peace or at least give a clue as to what she was going to do next. Maybe it was torture since after all the definition of insanity was doing the same thing every day but expecting different results.

It didn’t help either that she felt like she was plastering on a mask to hide the fact that she was in love with Sam. The very thought of it was terrifying even more so than the fact that both boys considered her family. What made it worse though was that she hated to see Sam so dejected with failure after failure and then that business with the Trickster. She couldn’t see the face and she couldn’t remember seeing it ever but the lesson that Dean was Sam’s weakness… they both were hers and it was becoming evident especially if she kept losing her temper when they were threatened.

She looked at Morpheus and replied, “I am reexamining them. Hindsight is 20/20 at best.”

“And you are a poor liar,” the god countered. “It’s no secret amongst the gods that you didn’t win. In fact the lesser ones pointed out how willing you were to sacrifice yourself to save him.”

“Yeah and they don’t want to lose their precious Absolution,” Angela replied in a dejected tone.

“They found it noble and curious. All that trouble for one human and for one who is known for turning you away. Isis understood and tried to explain. She supports you but then again she always said you were the favorite,” Morpheus said. “However I think you are torturing yourself for another reason and painful images are your way of expressing it.”

Angela started pacing as she glanced at the scene. Sam looked so lost and then that last bit about tearing down her shield… “When did you become a shrink?”

Morpheus bristled slightly but he could understand the snarky attitude. It was a defense mechanism. “You know that in my domain I can see your thoughts and feelings. They can’t hide here.”

Angela crossed her arms and stared off into the void. Of course she knew that. “I know that,” she replied softly. “I hate the fact that I could see what Dean saw and he couldn’t see me. How or why I am not sure and I don’t think I care to know. Then the renewed quest to save him led to the Mystery Spot incident and now Sam can’t listen to Asia without freaking out and thinking it’s that Tuesday… And I am actually considering what that hell bitch Ruby hounds me about… I just wish it would stop.”

Morpheus let her rant a little. Poor girl had a long and trying life. She finally opened her heart and now was at risk of having it ripped to shreds. It was worse than… At least he was getting her to admit to it. In the long run it would serve to make her feel better. “Those are surface reasons, my dear. The main reason for your need to torture yourself is right in there.” He pointed at her chest where her heart was. “What has you so upset that you think emotional torture will solve it.”

“I am not torturing myself on purpose,” Angela retorted. She felt like a child in this ranting mode but she didn’t know what else to do in terms of response. “I am trying to find out what I missed. I… was examining my reasons for finding the way to save Dean.”

“What reasons are those?”

“You are so infuriating,” Angela replied clenching her fingers into a fist.

“It will make you feel better and just so you know, I never tell anyone about our conversations. We may not have always gotten along especially in the beginning but I respect and like you,” Morpheus replied. It was rather a big thing to admit to for a god. Generally they had a job and not always were they that acknowledgeable towards humans. So for one who basically stayed in a realm that was only reachable through dreams… well, that was major.

Angela sighed. She knew what the god said was true. The real reasons were eating her up because she had no clue as to what to do with them. She replied slowly, “One is that I love Dean. He’s like the brother I never had. Two is that he is a good soul. He has his faults like anyone but no one deserves the pit. But that is nothing. I… I am trying so hard and have been for Sam.”

Morpheus nodded, “So you are doing it for his sake. Is that why you often stare at that pained expression from that memory?”

“For his sake because… I love him,” she replied in a whisper, “But that is not right. A creature like me shouldn’t be allowed to love. I can’t love. It is a weakness. They exploit it…”

Morpheus wasn’t going to point out how contradictory she sounded. She was capable of love. He saw it every time she helped an innocent, every time she forgave a random stranger for their transgression and every time she issued care upon the Winchesters. He never met another so capable of so much and it made him sad that she felt the need to point out why she should be hated. He replied, “Then don’t be afraid to love him. If anything what you show will be what keeps your rollercoaster on the tracks or rather his.”

Angela stood looking at the void. In front of her the memory of one of their training sessions popped up. It was funny because Sam fell and took her and Dean down with him and somehow she ended up on top of the pile. It then shifted to Tessa at the cemetery in Milagro. She said, “Don’t be afraid of it.”

Angela turned towards the god and said, “You are annoying but… I think I understand. I just can’t let him go to hell.”

“So what do you intend to do?”

It was morning and the sun wasn’t even up yet but since when did Angela ever attempt to sleep in? Her eyes opened and she felt exhausted. Normally dreams where were people worked out what was troubling them on a subconscious level or something like that. That was what the brain docs said. She had been actively doing it and made herself so exhausted it served as a good cover for hiding what was really bothering her.

Rubbing her eyes, she slowly sat up and took notice of Setna curled by her side. She smiled slightly as she ran her fingers through the soft fur. There was going to come a time when she would have to leave him behind with Bobby and that was if the going got rough and by rough she meant if they were caught by Henricksen or they got caught up in some demon plan that involved spilling lots of blood. She knew Bobby wouldn’t mind except maybe get annoyed that she did have a bad habit of collecting strays but he didn’t seem to mind since she always found a home for them.

Setna squeaked and opened his golden eyes. He looked up still curled on the bed at Angela and she smiled and started rubbing her fingers on its furry cheek. It responded by rubbing its head on her fingers hard. She chuckled when she felt the rumble in his throat indicating that he was purring. The fur ball had been a constant companion the last few weeks or was it a month? Anyway he had always managed to assuage any anxieties that cropped up throughout the day.

She was amused when she got out of bed and followed her directly into the bathroom. “You’re worse than the bull dog and silly watchdog,” she said realizing how much affection was in those descriptions she afforded to the boys and smiled slightly. It turned into laughter when the fur ball decided to jump into the shower with her.

Setna didn’t leave her side and when she decided to get the morning coffee, she couldn’t leave him behind. She picked him up and held him like a football. Good thing the coffee stand was an outdoor one. She held the fur ball that looked smug and content as she placed the coffee order and requested several pastries. They would suffice until they went to get real food.

It was surprisingly Dean that found her waiting by the Impala or rather leaning against it. She looked at him and said, “I must be still dreaming if you are up this early.”

“I have my reasons,” Dean replied. He noticed the coffee holder on the hood and the dang fur ball sitting next to it. He picked one up after looking at the cat with a feigned menacing look and took a sip.

“Another nightmare?”

“The usual but midgets this time,” Dean countered. When the open box of pastries was shut on his hand, he knew that she was not in the mood. How the hell she knew was beyond him. “Fine. I did.”

“Same thing?” Angela took a sip looking out at nothing. She absently petted Setna who had curled on the Impala and made himself comfortable. He took to rubbing his head on her hand to let her know that he was still there.

“Yeah and how do you know about that?” Dean looked over at Angela who had opened the box back up and held it out to him.

“I was there so I know you lied about what you saw to Sam.”

“No you weren’t. I would have seen you,” Dean countered.

Angela finally looked at Dean. She explained, “You remember I can dream walk pretty good. You never let Sam live down the fact I gave him a tattoo. When I entered we were separated. I found you but it became evident you couldn’t see me. I couldn’t tell how or why.” Angela paused for a moment to debate on what she wanted to say to the man. She didn’t want to cause him pain but she knew from experience that in order to heal you needed pain. She finally said, “John cared whether you lived or died and told me he regretted giving you such a burden. He was hard because he felt he had to and to get you ready for the fact that he would one day might not be there. As for your Mom… That was my fault.”

It occurred to Dean that she had been there the entire conversation. She could have easily helped Sam out since she was that good. He saw that when they pulled Bobby out. “Why didn’t you help Sam?”

“I knew he could do it,” Angela replied. It was a simple answer and conveyed a lot about what she thought of their capabilities. “He needed me to look out for you.” That was a lie that hid the truth. “You don’t deserve hell. No one does.” She took a sip of her coffee.

“Always looking out for us,” Dean replied as he took a sip. He stood next to Angela and stared at what she was looking at. It was actually nice to see the sun rise and greet another day. “You’re a good person Angie.”

“When you… or Sam say that, I feel like I can believe it,” Angela replied. “I feel like maybe I am worth the trouble.”

“You are,” Dean affirmed. “More than the rest of us and it’s because of who you are. The most gorgeous healer to walk this earth.” He gave his signature smirk in her direction.

“Now you are teasing,” Angela replied with a slight smile. “I kill and healers don’t do that.”

“Bull crap and you know it. I remember what you did for Sam’s head and then that ward stuff after you used the conventional stitching up thing… Angie you have a better bedside manner than half the quacks that dot this country. You make people _feel_ better. That’s what makes you a healer.” Dean pointed with the hand that held his coffee. “Like I said big brothers are biased.”

Angela hummed as she smiled. Dean never lied to her when he revealed his feelings. It was what he believed and it said a lot. Maybe… She looked at Dean and then at the sunrise taking in the colors. “I have an option that I am willing to try.”

“As long as it doesn’t involve making a deal,” Dean interrupted. “And don’t even think of trading in your superpowers. If we can’t… fix this… Sam is going to need you.” When he saw the look that passed across her face he gave a slight smile. It had been fun to see it at that quinceañera but wisely left it alone for her to deal with it. He said, “He depends on you a lot. Kid doesn’t see it and I know you’re gonna need him.”

“I’ve survived…”

“Please Angie. I saw the look on your face.”

“You know?” Angela felt a slight panic. She tried not to show it and realized that Dean was grinning like a kid in a candy store. She whispered, “You know… I have feelings for him?”

“I may only have a GED but I ain’t blind, Sister,” Dean replied still smiling. “I noticed you two once I got my head out of my ass when we started out. I was wondering how long it would take before either of you realize it.”

“Then you must know that it is impossible… but I can’t help it.” Angela finished her coffee and flipped open the box. She picked on at random, not caring what it was. It could have been a custard filled one for all she knew. Right now she felt she was… she had no clue.

“Hey I find it fine. I know Sam will be okay because he has you even if he is a dumb smart person,” Dean replied, proud of the oxymoron he created… well reused when going through his own thoughts.

“Dean, there is a reason vampires try and shouldn’t fall in love with humans,” Angela replied quietly. She was thinking about what the Trickster had said to Sam. She had recognized the voice and the manner and familiarity in which he described her… It was like he knew her and personally. “Living is hard because we have to face time watching humans be born, live and die. To have feelings like this… I don’t know but I feel terrified.”

Dean listened and while she chewed on her pastry with a distracted air, he could see her point. He actually didn’t blame her for being scared even though the idea of her being scared of anything was somewhat funny. Still he thought she was right for Sam but as long as Sam was oblivious to it, he was not going to mention it. Maybe tease and flirt with her to annoy him but not tell him. This one he would have to figure out on his own. “I get it Angie. Still it’s not a bad thing to feel that way. It makes you more closer to normal for humans but you are Winchester normal.”

Angela couldn’t help but laugh at Dean’s attempt to make her feel better. The comparisons he did were better than the psychobabble counselors and shrinks attempted to use. “I prefer Winchester normal otherwise I would just become a psycho freak with human normal.”

“That’s my girl,” Dean cheered. “Look I won’t tell about your…” He tried to think of a code word for her feelings. It was childish but it would go a long way into helping her overcome any insecurities she might have about her feelings. He knew about the mug Sam got for her and how they would talk about it but not mention it directly so it was his turn. “How about your rosebush?”

“What?” Angela frowned in confusion as she studied Dean. What was it with people and roses? Yeah she liked them and she could admit she would often catch a whiff of them when in the heat of battle but why did people think that she was comparable to a rose?

Dean saw the confusion. Poor girl didn’t realize that was how people thought of her. She was like a rose but he had a good explanation for it. “Yeah. It’s the rosebush that you ordered and Bobby is keeping for you until you can plant it.”

“Why would I order a rosebush when I can go to Sioux Falls nursery and buy one?”

“That’s not the point Angie,” Dean sighed in frustration. It was no wonder she was like his pain in the ass little brother. Sometimes she was just dumb about some things. It must be a smart people thing. “The point is that roses generally represent your feelings. You see what I’m getting at?”

Angela saw the point. The fact that Dean was attempting to make things easier to discuss was touching. “I do. Though you and me talking about rosebushes does sound a bit weird and girly even for you.”

“I’m willing to go through with the sacrifice to my dignity. Besides you can say something about a tough guy you know that raises the darn thing for some sort of therapy that makes him into a good fighter or some shit like that,” Dean replied with a slight shrug of his shoulders. He could suffer through it since she was a sister to him. “Trust me on this one Angie. Sam would just think that we are talking about flowers.”

Angela was unsure and it showed on her face. Then she had an idea. “What about a car named Rose?”

Dean grinned nice and big. Now she was thinking. “Now you’re thinking Angie. So is it a real car or one that you’re going to have to fill me in on the details?”

Angela thought about it for a moment. The only Rose she knew of was the Rose of Tralee. She replied, “Well the only Rose that is real to me is the Rose of Tralee.” She knew that Dean would know what she was talking about. “I guess I have to make it up. Rose is a car, classic muscle of course, and she belongs to some street racer?”

“Better than nothing though it sounds like you with Deanna,” Dean replied teasing her about the name of her car. He knew she gave it that name on purpose since Dean teased Sam by giving him the feminine version of his name.

“Bite me my little bull dog,” Angela replied giving a hair ruffle.

Dean retaliated by saying that he might and they fell into a friendly banter over the details of their story. They were at it when Sam came out and the coffee was still hot.


	2. Chapter 2

_Sheridan, Montana_

It was a quiet night and it seemed that everyone was asleep in the town… all six hundred of them. The only exceptions were the night owls and the local police. The neighborhoods were relatively quiet. In fact the mayor always claimed that Sheridan was a nice quiet town and it was especially for people passing through and being tourists and the like.

The Thompson farm was one of the larger ones catering to the cattle trade and was a fair piece from the main part of town. It truly was the epitome of quiet. That certainly was the case when Randy Thompson went to go check on the stock and made sure that they were fed. Usually it was a job he did it on his own or with the hired hand Hickory. This time though he was with his twelve year old son and pride and joy Nathaniel or Nate for short. Well both his boys were his pride and joy. Nate was the one who was into the higher education and learning.

Part of the reason he wanted his boy with him was to talk to him. It was not a big secret in the family that Nate had been hanging out with the wrong crowd, namely the kid named Roman at the high school, and they had been busted recently for relatively minor things. Randy couldn’t get it. The boy was smart and he had good grades. Was it an acting up phase or one of those things the shrinks claimed it was?

Nate was shoveling up the beds for the cows and doing a fairly good job of it. He had been taught how to do it when he was young, since he was nine and he rotated with Hickory and his younger brother Nikki who was a farmer/cowboy through and through. Though lately he had been excused because of his homework and his education was an important thing. At least he wasn’t pressured like he had heard of some of those baby Einsteins. His parents let him choose what he wanted to do in terms of his academics. He shoveled another load of hay for the next bed.

“Nate.”

“Yessir?” Nate didn’t stop what he was doing but he was listening in full to his father.

“I got a call from one of your teachers this afternoon.”

“Who? Ms. Lyle?” Nate smoothed out the bed. His movements with the hay rake punctuated his words. He really didn’t care.

“Doesn’t matter,” Randy said. “What does matter is that it concerns your behavior. What were you thinking doing something like that?” He looked at his son and waited for him to answer. He would wait all night if he had to.

“I didn’t do it,” Nate replied. He finished the stall he was doing and put the hay rake up. “I didn’t. Someone else did.” He didn’t look at his father since he didn’t really see the point in all of this. It wasn’t like the truth would set anyone free.

“They said that you were there.”

Nate sighed as he turned to face his dad. He ran a hand through his short light brown locks and replied, “It was gym class. Of course I was there. I just didn’t do it. Barry is my gym partner. Why would I go and do something like that?”

“And what about the incident in the cafeteria?”

Nate gave a slight roll of his eyes. “Like I told Principal Keller, Mike tried to trip me. It wasn’t my fault that their idea of a meatloaf special landed on the front of star quarterback and captain of the football team,” he replied with a slight hint of sarcasm. “If anything I did him a favor.”

“Nate,” Randy replied in a firm tone. “What about the trouble caused in the classroom?”

“That was only one prank with the stupid lab rat Oscar. Penny Miller is a superficial…” Nate stopped himself from calling her a bitch. The parents had a thing about vulgar language. Well they didn’t have to go to a school where the reason they picked on you was the fact that you were smart and wore glasses. Never mind the fact that you were just as strong and buff as the guys on the football team. “She deserved it for what she said to Missy.”

Randy sighed. He had heard different accounts from certain people but the principal had been consistent with Nate’s actions and his account. Weber’s boy, the quarterback was known to be a bully. There had been multiple complaints but nothing was done about it because the boy was expected to take the team to the championship. “That doesn’t mean that you retaliate with stupid stuff. You wanna go to college and get into that engineering thing?”

“Biological engineering,” Nate corrected.

Randy felt like an idiot but he was proud of his son. He continued, “Alright, well if you want to do that, you can’t be doing this. No school is going to give a scholarship to discipline cases.”

“Dad, I’m not even in high school yet. I may be in one high school class and that makes life hell.” Nate paced a little to assuage his agitation from getting worse. “The kids my grade level think me to be a nerd and the high school sees me as a freak and no one believes that I didn’t do anything,” he added trying not to shout.

“I believe you son…”

“No one does,” Nate interrupted. Feeling frustrated enough, he scoffed slightly and turned and walked out of the barn. He took off towards the wooded forest that led to the mountains.

Randy took off after Nate. He knew his son was frustrated and upset. He and his wife wanted to make sure he had every opportunity available to him. Nikki, his younger brother was content with staying and returning to the farm. Nate was different and they wanted to give it to him. Now he was beginning to doubt the wisdom of that.

Nate was only twelve years old and had the potential to be a prodigy. They didn’t push but let him make the choice. Randy was beginning to think that Nate felt he made a mistake. They certainly didn’t take into account the social aspect of school life. Yet Nate was pretty mature for a twelve year old but that may not be enough.

Randy hoped that Nate hadn’t run off into the woods. He was waylaid by Nikki who came out of the house to ask, “Dad, Mom was wondering what was taking so long?”

Randy replied, “Nothing wrong Nikki. Your brother just had a bad day.”

“He run off again?” Nikki looked at his father with a questioning look.

“I’ll find him.”

“Let me help Dad. I know where Nate likes to go,” Nikki insisted.

Randy thought it wasn’t necessary but Nikki had those begging eyes he used when he wanted something. “Alright but tell your mother.” He gave a slight smile. He just couldn’t say no to his youngest and he suspected that no one else could. It would take someone of strong stuff to resist the eyes Nikki gave and knew he had power behind.

Nikki went off to obey and when he came back he had flashlights. He handed one off to Randy and the two set off after Nate. Nikki led the way insisting they were going the right way. He picked the way into the woods calling his brother’s name, “Nate?”

They were well into the woods and there was no sign of Nate. Nikki was shouting for his brother and it was punctuated periodically by Randy calling for his eldest. He began to get worried that Nate might be in trouble and it was probably serious to the point that Nate might not be able to call for help. That put a panic into him but he couldn’t scare Nikki.

They continued to look for Nate when Nikki tripped over something. It was pretty dark even with the flashlight and the moon that was bright and full and had an unusual hue to it. Randy flashed his light and saw that it was Nate’s jacket. Something was wrong if he lost his jacket. Even though it was a warm spring, there were still some cold nights given the elevation. He picked it up and hollered out, “Nate!”

There was a rustle in the brush and Randy paused. Something was out there or someone. He could hear it moving. The first thing to do was to get Nikki out of there. He looked in the direction of the noise and said calmly, “Nikki, I need you to go back to the house. Run as fast as you can.”

Nikki had heard the noise too. He became very nervous and scared. He trembled and didn’t move right away.

“Run, Nikki. Now!”

Nikki obeyed that time and took off running back towards the house. He held fast onto his flashlight since everything looked different at night. He thought he heard steps and crashing behind him. His dad was running too. Whatever it was, it had to be nasty so he dug for an extra spurt of energy after falling to his knees and jumping back up.

Marjorie Thompson opened the screen door on the porch wiping her hands. Her husband and youngest had gone after her eldest since he decided to blow off his frustration. She knew that at that point anything said would have driven him off. Randy was not the most eloquent of speakers but he was fair. He would have listened to what Nate had to say and maybe would have suggested a family discussion about what to do if Nate wanted to ease up on his academic load. The choice would be his. It always was. As she stepped out to see if her husband and sons came back, she felt something was off; that something didn’t sit right.

Far off she could hear shouts. She stepped off the porch and started towards the sound. She was maybe a few feet from the house when she saw Nikki running at top speed and screaming that something was after him and Randy. Marjorie called out to Nikki as he ran into her arms, “Nikki, what happened? Where’s your father and Nate?”

Nikki was so scared that he almost ignored her. He managed to get out, “Monster Mom!”

Marjorie was confused and then upset. She wondered if Nate was teasing his little brother again and telling him outlandish stories about monsters in the woods. He usually did and Nikki would come running to her or Randy and asking if what Nate said was real. Nate would try to act all innocent but it never worked since he would admit it and say that it was a joke. She wondered if that was the reason for the behavior issues at school.

She didn’t have time to think about it because the unmistakable form of Randy came out and he was shouting, “Get in the house Marjorie! Run!”

Something huge bounded out of the forest. It looked human but it was moving too fast. It was chasing Randy. It was instinct to grab Nikki and run into the house. Marjorie knew the flimsy door wouldn’t hold back whatever it was but she did have something that might help. Telling Nikki to go up to his room and lock the door, she grabbed the rifle that was kept in the downstairs closet and made ready to shoot.

She got to the door just in time to see whatever it was get the jump on Randy. He was screaming loudly and she could tell something bad was happening. She got the rifle up just as the thing plunged its hand into Randy’s chest. It was so fast but she reacted. She fired off a shot at the thing. It must have been off because it missed. It did distract the thing though.

Marjorie felt paralyzing fear shoot up her spine the minute the man like thing looked at her. It got up and started moving like it was going to charge. She didn’t give in to the fear however and fired off another shot. It must have missed because the thing started to pick up speed. She had one more shot before it charged into the house. She took careful aim even though the target was moving and squeezed the trigger.

It must have hit since the thing cried out in pain and Marjorie saw the thing go down. She was ready to fire another shot and did so but that one landed nearby. It was enough though to convince the thing to head back towards the woods. It took off like a bullet and charged back into the woods. For Marjorie the adrenaline died and she realized that the thing killed her husband. The tears began to erupt as she dropped the gun and ran out to her husband crying and screaming for Hickory the farmhand or anybody to get help.

****

The highway was pitch black outside and the only lights that seemed to cut through the darkness were the headlights of the Impala as she purred along. Angela kept a steady pace even though she was certain that Dean would say that she was being a girl going at that speed. In her mind, she owed it to the old girl for the excessive speeding she had put her through earlier. As she told Dean, “I owe Impa an apology.”

Sam of course gave a slight eye roll at that but it was halfhearted. He appreciated the Impala since it was pretty much the one consistency in his life. It was like home. The big bonus was that the car was made in an era where big was better and considering that she and Sam were freakishly huge, it was a godsend.

So they were driving along through Montana seeking out an old shaman from the Blackfoot tribe. It was a lead that had been a source of luck and Sam was insisting on trying. Rumor had it that this particular shaman knew a thing or two about deals made by man and demons. It was a small and probably feeble hope but worth the effort.

The logic in Angela’s mind though argued that it was fruitless; pointless since they were operating on a rumor. It was foolish to put hope into a rumor that may prove to be worth nothing. However the heart said other things and it was the switch to thinking with the heart and this desire to try no matter how small the success that had them on the road. It was a rather liberating experience and reminded Angela when she actually had something that close to her worth fighting for. That and she had other reasons that she could admit she was glad to share with someone who didn’t make fun of her over it; not that Dean was ever that callous.

At the thought, Angela glanced in the rearview mirror to look at the backseat. Dean was fast asleep after she insisted that if they wanted to keep going, she could do night driving while they sleep. It ended with her implying that she was smoother at the wheel than Dean for Dean to give up the keys after the pit stop at a no name roadside diner. In the end she proved herself right with the driving part since she hadn’t had complaints from either brother.

Looking at Dean, Angela could tell he was in a deep sleep. He wasn’t going to wake unless he felt his big brother senses go off like out of control fire alarms. It was a good thing since she knew he had trouble sleeping after the incident with the dream root. She also suspected that he was sleeping well because Setna was curled up on his stomach and his right, which was pinned sort of by the seat, was curled right by the fur ball giving evidence that he had been petting the beast.

Smiling at the sight, Angela focused her attention on the road and then glanced at Sam. She thought he looked uncomfortable but he was sound asleep in the front seat. Of course the head against the glass and his open mouth fogging up the window was not a good indicator that he was comfortable. For a moment Angela considered pulling over and adjusting Sam’s position so he didn’t look like he was trying to suffocate himself but axed that since she might end up waking him up and he would deny that he was uncomfortable… stubborn bastard and she couldn’t help but smile at that.

It was a quiet drive since the country station she had the radio on was playing the slow ballads that could put people to sleep. Another complaint from Dean so she cranked it up and started singing the song the radio was playing with the country twang and all. Sam was the lightweight and dropped off and Dean held on a bit longer but in the end succumbed to her music choices. The radio was turned down to low and they ambled forward. It was a nice night to think even though she had been that a lot lately.

Suddenly her phone rang. Automatically, she put the hands free device in her right ear and answered, “Hello?”

The voice on the other end had her smiling. She immediately switched from English to Greek and began chattering away. “I didn’t expect to hear from you ever. How are you Lycan?”

_As anyone can expect. The family is good. It has not been the same since…_

Angela made a slight hum in the back of her throat. She hadn’t bothered to check on that since she was not privy to that and she had been reluctant to have anything to do with the gods. Maybe that contributed to the fact that she was nonresponsive to their summons. She replied, “He’s still your brother and you can’t help it. Just like I can’t help but blame myself for how things turned out.”

_It was his choice angelo_ _údi. You did what you didn’t have to do by letting him live. For that I am grateful._

“Always the gentle giant,” Angela replied. “I hate to ask but why did you call me? It’s not like I give this number to just anyone.”

_An old seadog learned how to use this infernal cell phone thing and gave it to me. The reason I am calling angelo_ _údi is because there is a problem._

“There always is,” Angela replied with a slight roll of her eyes. “Go on.”

_I did not tell you this when we last saw each other but I have a son and he is missing. He has been for some time now and his mother, Lilah is worried. She asked me to ask you to help._

“I can’t just pick up and leave and go to Greece. I have responsibilities here,” Angela replied.

_He is there. He was sent to school there some place called Sheridan in Montana._

“And I’m supposed to believe it is coincidence that I am driving through that state right now,” Angela replied with the teasing sarcasm thick in her voice. She knew that Lycan wouldn’t pick up on it. He could be a stiff serious fellow even though he was gentle in nature.

_I would not ask if I didn’t think you could._

Angela sighed. That was the truth. Somehow it seemed that she would never be without a job to do. She found them or they dropped in her lap. That’s how things rolled with her. “I know. So what exactly happened?”

_Things were going fine at the school he was placed at. Then he called saying that a new teacher was at the school and he was a little… I’m not sure what he meant but he sounded worried. Then he didn’t come home to the apartment he was staying at and now we have heard nothing._

“Sounds like a kidnapping and considering what Lilah is and what you are… it doesn’t surprise me.”

_There were also rumors of the madness disease outbreak in that area._

Angela narrowed her eyes slightly as she made an adjustment. “Any hints of the were-people in that area?”

_That is the thing. The area has never shown anything which is why we sent Roman there. I would ask your Centurion for more accurate information but they said that there was nothing to worry about._

“Well they have been wrong before. I’ll bring it up with my friends. I can’t make promises that we’ll help but I can make the promise that I can help.” Angela made the distinction clear. She had an idea something was going on and given the sensitive nature of the situation, she would give the boys the choice. If they wanted to continue on, she would just have them drop her off at Sheridan and pick her up after they followed their lead.

_Thank you._

“Hey, I owe you,” Angela replied. She then said the traditional Greek departure that was a part of Lycan’s family and hung up. She marveled that Lilah and Lycan were married and obvious for fifteen years. It was good since some happiness was needed for the people whose lives she meddled in at some point.

“Someone you know?”

Angela glanced over to see Sam awake though he looked a little sleepy. She could torture herself wondering how long he had been eavesdropping on her conversation but she wasn’t. It wasn’t like he knew Greek unless he picked up the habit from doing pre-law. She replied, “It was Lycan.”

“Oh. Playing catch up?”

“Yes and no,” Angela replied. “He was asking me for a favor.”

Sam pondered her response. He had woken up in the middle of her conversation to hear her talking. At first he thought she was talking to herself in one of the numerous language she knew how to speak but then he noticed the hands free set she kept. It was the subject of exasperation for Dean especially when they got into a wrestling match and she was having a conversation with Bobby or Akira. It had been funny though sine her concentration hadn’t broke.

The way how she said Lycan was asking her for a favor meant that she would tell them full score or give a summary and say she had to do this on her own. She did warn them that she may get those calls time to time but so far she included them in everything. “You going to go off on your own?” He was unaware that he sounded like a hurt child that was going to lose his favorite toy.

Angela heard the dejected tone in his voice. It did feel mean to abandon Sam especially after the Mystery Spot incident. He remembered everything that happened all one hundred and some odd Tuesdays in a row as well as the first Wednesday after that. She remembered too but a bit differently; like someone had put blinkers on which was part of the reason why she ‘tortured’ herself with that in her dreams. She couldn’t do that to Sam and she was just as determined to save Dean from the pit. She replied, “Only if you and Dean don’t want to do it.”

“What makes you think we wouldn’t?”

“Because we have an appointment to keep with the shaman,” she replied as she made the turn towards the highway that would take them to Sheridan.

Sam gave a slight crooked smile. She was doing it again; telling them to do what they had to do and she would do the job alone. He knew she only suggested it because even though he had his lesson handed to him by the Trickster, he still wasn’t going to give it up. Yet he wasn’t going to leave her alone and for sure Dean wouldn’t. “It can wait.”

Angela glanced at Sam and saw the ghost of a smile. She returned it and turned her eyes back to the road. She explained, “A case may have been dropped literally in our laps. Possibly werewolf activity.” She glanced a bit nervously at Sam.

“Okay. So Lycan knows about them?”

“The favor he asked of me was to check for something specific and it is related to werewolves,” Angela replied, not sure how much to tell him in his groggy state. She intended to be discreet about Roman. “It requires a bit of explanation.”

Sam knew what that meant. He could wait a few more hours. “Okay.”

Angela looked at Sam and said, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll tell you both everything and you guys can decide. Why don’t you go back to sleep?”

“You are bossy.”

“Don’t even go there Sam,” she replied with a chuckle.


	3. Chapter 3

“Look something’s come up and I might have to rain check our meeting.”

_You’re the one who said it was important, Dear._

Angela sighed, “I know but it’s a job that literally dropped in my lap. I can’t turn away from it.”

_You never could. I knew that the first time you showed up on my doorstep after that incident in Lawrence and you scolded an old friend._

Angela glanced over at the police tape and the vehicles. They arrived at Sheridan to find that there had been an animal attack. Randy Thompson had been mauled and his heart was near missing. The reason she added near missing was because the wife said that she interrupted the thing from finishing its job… with the business end of a rifle.

Sam and Dean were doing what they did best and that was questioning the widow. The only other person to see the thing was eight year old Nikki Thompson and his mother was being a protective mama bear with him. So that was out unless the kid decided to seek them out and talk to them. The only one unaccounted for was Nate Thompson and the cops were ready to declare him missing or kidnapped. It was a nice way to start a case.

Knowing that her contact was waiting for an answer, Angela replied, “Yeah just call me a bleeding heart Missouri. I have the biggest soft spot for the Winchesters.”

_You have it bad for the boys. Always did and not because of Mary. And don’t you dare try to deny it. I know you quite well even if you are older than me._

Angela paused with her mouth open. She looked a little like a fish gulping for air. She knew better than to try to argue with someone like Missouri. The woman always seemed to know her intentions before she announced them and didn’t hesitate to reveal them. Angela blamed in on her ability to read the natural energies of people and she was the real deal and she could take that to the bank. Though sometimes it seemed that she didn’t know and Angela could count those times and would tease the woman about the score and they would laugh about it and get on with business as usual. This though, she was curious as to what Missouri knew and replied, “And what do you know about my soft spot Missouri?” Her voice took on a playful, teasing tone as she said the words knowing that Missouri would play along.

_Only that you exhibit a protective aura when they are mentioned and you feel they are threatened. That is hardly new. Now are you going to tell me why you feel the need to cancel our meeting?_

“Like I said, there’s a job for us here in Sheridan and then the shaman at the reservation. It’ll give me time to come up with an excuse for going off for a while,” Angela replied as she looked over at the crime scene. “This is something I would rather not go into with them.”

_You mean that you don’t want them to know that you are attempting to summon the demon to steal a contract. I would think you want them to help you on this. It’s not like you’re going to be making a deal._

“Missouri you know the exception to the rules better than anyone. You helped me find them,” Angela replied in a near whisper. Even though she was a fair distance away, she didn’t want to run the risk of being overheard by anyone or anything. “Besides you know as well as I the consequences if I go through with it.”

_Mmhmm and they are the ones going to pay the price since you seem to operate under the assumption that leaving them out keeps them from being hurt._

“Thanks for the reminder Nanny,” Angela retorted. “Don’t think I haven’t considered that. I just… I’ll see you after the shaman.”

_I guess I’ll have to settle with that. Do you always do this when you get away to see Ellen?_

“I’m not even going to ask how you know about Ellen since you have your ways and I have mine,” Angela replied with a smile at nothing. “Alright, I’ll bring the usual. Just make sure you tell me if you are unable to get everything. I know people Missouri.”

_You sound like one of those criminal types._

“In this line of work we might as well be since most people don’t believe what exist in it,” Angela replied with a slight expression on her face. “Look I have to go before people get to thinking that I am just here to look pretty. I’ll call you later.”

_Alright sweetie but you be careful. I’ll not hold you to the call but I will help you. Just don’t hide anything. You’ll end up hurting yourself._

“Thanks Nanny,” Angela replied. She smiled a little as she hung up her phone. She looked around hoping to see if there was anything she could do to make up for the fact that she had to answer a call that had nothing to do with the case but everything with one option she wished to pursue but not ready to commit to fully.

Missouri had always been her go to for things that were arcane and unconventional. She manipulated the situation so that John could meet her and that led to the boys eventually meet her. When Angela toyed with the formation of a plan, the first person she thought of was the cheery faced Missouri and made the call after they split from the last town. So it was on the to-do list along with the shaman visit.

Angela surveyed the farm and the landscape. Sheridan was in the heart of the Ruby Valley and Ruby River (probably the Fates’ idea of torture) which boasted of high tourism for fishing. Cattle raising and farming were part of the economy given the pasture land and all that good stuff. Though it was called a farm, it was technically a ranch since the Thompson land was dedicated to a nice spread even though there was substantial forest nearby.

It was the forest that held her interest. It would be the perfect place to hide in if you were a werewolf on the prowl and a mad one. It felt like she was fobbing off the questioning to Sam and Dean but she needed time to do a general inspection. Maybe she might be able to spot something that the cops didn’t see. It stank of special circumstances to her and it made her feel worse when Missouri called and she had to excuse herself.

“Are you a cop?”

Angela stood up straight from the bent position she had assumed to look at something on the ground. She inwardly berated herself for not staying alert. Then again she didn’t expect to be snuck upon by an eight year old boy. She turned and stood to stare at a light brown haired boy and she was instantly dropped back through memory lane to a time when she cuddled a sobbing little boy after a… an unspeakable crime.

She studied the boy and replied, “State police. You must be Nikki.” She studied the boy and marveled at how her memories decided to make themselves known. It was like being with the twins again except there was only one this time.

“How do you know my name?”

Angela gave a smile as she made herself hear eye level as possible to the boy. She replied, “Well we have special means of finding out. Besides I overheard your mom talking with my partners and friends. My name is Angela.” She held her hand out for a handshake.

Nikki studied the woman with a wide eyed expression. She was tall and very pretty. She was dressed in a suit like the two guys she came with. She had pretty dark hair that came down to her shoulders in silky waves. Her skin was pretty too and she had a nice smile. She looked like an angel. He reached out and grasped her hand and shook it. “Are you an angel in disguise?”

Angela couldn’t help but chuckle. That was a first. Usually kids asked if she was an angel. This kid was different and pretty smart. “What do you think?”

Nikki turned his head to the side like an inquisitive puppy. “You’re not like the other cops. You’re too pretty. Are you going to find my big brother?”

Angela straightened up to look at the boy. She had told the truth when she told Sam and Dean that she folded badly when it came to kids. There was no way she could resist the look that was coming from that face that bore a striking resemblance to another only that was more adult and… She gave a slight sigh and asked out of curiosity, “What makes you think that I can find your brother?”

Nikki had never met someone like the pretty lady in front of him before. She didn’t patronize him but asked him good questions. She didn’t think he was as stupid little kid. He replied, “You’re different.”

“How so?”

“I think you know what happened to my dad and Nate. No one believes me in that it was a man with blue eyes and nasty teeth,” Nikki replied.

Angela always marveled at how descriptive kids could be if given the chance. They were also pretty good at the whole honesty thing. They were like little alcoholics. Paying attention to what the kid was telling her, he was describing the typical appearance of a werewolf and it looked like the kind that Sam and Dean had dealt with before so the silver bullet thing would work and they could be done with it and off to see the shaman… Right after she found Lycan’s boy.

“The man was slobbering and he had tiny black dots in the middle of his eyes.”

Angela listened to the description. Damn the kid saw a mad one. That was bad news in of itself. So much for an easy werewolf case. At least it wasn’t a Lupei and those were even worse. “Okay. Anything else?”

“Dad and I were looking for Nate. I said he went to the rock pillar. It’s in the glen in the woods. We used to play there but then something happened. We couldn’t play there anymore.”

“Nikki?”

Angela looked up to see the boy’s mother coming towards them. The woman said, “Nikki, I told you to stay in the house and not to come out.”

“But Mom, this lady can find Nate,” Nikki protested. He allowed himself to be dragged behind his mother.

“Enough young man,” Marjorie said. She then looked at Angela and said, “I told you people to leave my son out of this. You have what you need so you can go.”

Angela stood there with a complacent face. Overprotective mothers were nothing new. Sometimes they could be unreasonable with certain things but they were worth their salt if given the chance. Other times they were willing to listen once they were assured that their little ‘cubs’ were safe from harm. She replied, “I beg your pardon ma’am. I was looking at the scene and he came out and started talking to me. It’s okay.”

“No it is not. You people have no idea.” Marjorie then grabbed her son and started dragging him towards the house.

Angela watched as the pair went to the house and disappeared within the wooden shelter. She could guess that the poor woman had seen what had happened to her husband and had no idea what it was. On top of that her son saw the thing and people thought that he was making stuff up. That was the problem with the blindfold. People get used to it and when they see something, they would try anything to make sure the blindfold stays on.

It wasn’t a total loss since Nikki had given a good idea where to start looking. The rock pillar in the glen seemed like it might be a hideout area for the werewolf. It made sense since it was in the woods and off the ranch which made it pretty isolated out there. There was little risk of being exposed to the outside world. It would make sense that no one picked up werewolf activity or any kind of activity here before. Then there was the whole thing about the mad wolf disease and that was another thing to explain to the boys. They could search out the glen and maybe do a sort of stakeout and maybe get the bastard before he killed someone else.

“I take it the kid told you something Angie?” Dean asked the question as he and Sam joined her to compare notes.

“Yeah he did but not enough,” Angela replied absently as she studied the house for a moment. She then turned to look at the forest. “Still it’s a start and I think the kid got a full on look of it. He was lucky. I think his brother was kidnapped.”

“That’s never happened before,” Sam interjected.

“I know,” Angela replied, “And this area never had activity before.”

“Thinking omens?”

“Not sure but I think I might know someone who might be able to give a heads up.” Angela turned to give a last glance at the house before heading back to the car.

She was unaware that little Nikki had been watching from the upstairs window. When she turned, the light shined off her making a sort of halo around her head and he was more than convinced she was some sort of angel. He knew that she would find his brother. He knew that she would make everything better.

****

“So are we sure it’s a werewolf,” Sam asked while he and Angela were picking up food.

Angela studied the menu of the outdoor burger joint looking for something with lean meat. Translation: she was looking for something that hinted chicken, fish or a salad. She replied, “Kid described the characteristics of one pretty good.”

Sam stood in the line with his arms crossed. “Yeah but you know sometimes kids exaggerate and there is such a thing as the imagination.” He wasn’t questioning her judgment but rather laying out that they couldn’t always go completely with eyewitness accounts. Often no two accounts were ever the same even if it was something involving the supernatural. He just hoped that she didn’t take it the wrong way.

“He has no reason to lie Sam,” Angela replied as she finally spotted what she wanted. She really couldn’t stand hamburger. She really didn’t eat them unless she was craving something greasy and that was a once in a blue moon type of thing. “Besides kids are very detail oriented and can remember quite a bit if you ask the right question. You were the same at his age.”

Sam gave a wry grin and a slight hum. She would know. “Okay you win Angie and you are right that he did describe the you-know-what pretty well.”

Angela gave a slight smile. It was easy to talk business like you would a movie or something but one of the ironclad rules was to not say anything that would make people look at you twice. Certainly that was adhered to as strictly as possible since it was evident that Henricksen was still on their tails. At least she was able to keep some tabs on where he was at and they had a nice set of aliases. “I know you were just reminding me about the frailty of memory Sam. No worries.”

“So is it your friend Lycan that knows about the area?”

“No. He, like everybody else, only knows the general information and pretty much that is along the lines of it’s tradition,” Angela explained. She looked at the line and wondered if it was ever going to move. Did the person in front order the whole menu? “This area has been known as a relatively supernatural free zone in terms of the usual.”

“For real?”

“No shitting. No mysterious deaths, hexes, you name it; there may be people of that kind living here but they aren’t the kind to start up trouble. Rather they just want to get peace and quiet and grow a rosebush or two.” Angela chuckled at the last part. She had said it with a slight twang in her voice as if she were a cowboy of sorts.

Sam chuckled at her twang. She could slip in an out of accents like she could clothes. One minute she could sound like a ghetto bitch and the next she was sounding like a Bostonian aristocrat and it all depended on the alias they were using. Dean did say that she was a master of disguise and he had to agree. He was going to say something when he heard something over the burger joint’s loudspeaker that was playing music. No it couldn’t be that one. He felt a panic start to rise.

Angela heard the song and if she knew that people wouldn’t call the cops on her, she would have whipped out her gun and blasted the speaker. She now hated this song but her immediate concern was Sam. He was pretty good about not reacting but she could see it in his face that he was trying to fight the panic by convincing himself that it was not that Tuesday. The idiots around were oblivious to this and it was ridiculous to shout at them but she did it anyway, “Can you turn that crap off?”

When there was no response, she scowled at the cashier who looked ready to pee in his pants and gently took Sam by his elbow and said, “Seems like everybody and their mama is ignoring and ordering the whole damn menu,” and led him away.

Angela knew that badgering Sam if he was okay wasn’t going to work. She was guilty of the same thing but even in his gentle persistent way, he opened her up. She had a way to do it with Dean and now she needed to find a way with Sam. They passed by a food store and an idea came to her. She could snow Dean and besides he ate anything she put in front of him. She tugged on Sam’s arm and said, “Screw that joint. I can put the fast in fast food. Come on. I need my handy pack mule.”

Angela didn’t expect much of an answer from Sam but at least they were in a place that didn’t play that infernal song. She hated it herself. She had to hear it through the paper thin walls. A glance at Sam told her he was calming down but he didn’t look in the mood to say anything. That was okay. She didn’t need him to respond.

They headed into the store and she tugged Sam along looking down the aisles. She pulled various items off the shelves as she ran through a mental checklist of a recipe for something quick and easy but would taste like it took hours to prepare. She handed the items to Sam or rather put them in the basket she made him hold. Occasionally she held something up and asked his opinion or offered a comment.

Anyone else would have gotten frustrated but Angela didn’t. She babbled and she knew it. She picked up two cantaloupes and held them near her breasts. She turned to look at Sam and asked, “What’s the betting that I can get Dean to eat fruit?”

Sam for his part had been quiet. True he had been in a near panic when he heard Asia on the loudspeaker but when he heard Angela shout at the employees for it and made comments, Sam snapped out of his funk and realized she was trying to make things better. She took the lead and headed towards this food store and made him hold the basket while she picked out things for something. When she asked him the question he had to do a double take. He had plenty of surprises and he wanted to be certain was seeing what he thought he was seeing.

He was sure that she wasn’t doing that on purpose. Hell she probably didn’t realize what she was doing. He couldn’t help it but he started to laugh. Her reaction though was unexpected. She smiled and said, “He speaks!”

Sam realized that she knew exactly what she was doing and he couldn’t stop laughing. Finally he said, “You did that on purpose.”

“When did you guess?” Angela replied feeling pleased that he was on the way to feeling better. “My babble was hardly funny.”

“I guess I needed a laugh,” Sam admitted. He could also admit that her chatter throughout the store was needed. She didn’t expect answers from him and the mundaneness of it… well it was more reassuring than anything else he tried when he heard Asia.

“We all do from time to time,” Angela agreed. She put the cantaloupes down. She was going to do something with apples anyway and picked up a small bag of granny smiths. “There. That went well. Now time to put fast in fast food.”

Sam looked at the contents of the shopping basket he was holding. He raised his brow and wondered how in the hell she was going to make something with what she stuck in there. He was even more curious how she was going to convince Dean to eat it and put him off his desire for clogged arteries on a bun. “How are you going to do that?”

“I requested a kitchenette,” Angela replied as she led the way to the checkout lane. She fished out the money and paid for everything. “I don’t know why exactly. It just seemed right.”

“I’ll buy that,” Sam replied as he picked up the bag. He was surprised it all fit into the single paper bag then again he wasn’t sure how she would make it all into something edible. He didn’t even mind that he carried the whole thing. It was the least he could do since she made the effort to get his mind off of things. “How are you going to convince Dean?”

Angela gave a slight smile. “Trade secrets.”

The walk back wasn’t too far and they were near her room when she took the bag out of Sam’s arms and went to her door and opened it. She said, “Tell Dean twenty minutes,” and made to shut the door. She balanced everything in both arms and used her foot. Suddenly she felt shy about with Sam. She would rather be alone to collect her thoughts.

It wasn’t to be since Sam stopped the door from closing. “You need some help?”

She really didn’t need help but she didn’t want to hurt feelings either. She had an idea and it could work. She made to show that she was thinking about it before replying, “Sure. Grab Dean and you both can help. Take it or leave it.” She grinned to show that she meant it.

Sam knew she was being serious. However the idea of Dean doing anything in the kitchen beyond heating up a can of soup was ludicrous. He had to open his mouth and ask her to help. Dean was going to kill him but then again he might get a laugh out of it. He grinned and replied, “Alright then.”

Angela smiled and said, “You got five,” and turned to head to the kitchenette.

He was back and with Dean in tow complaining about the fact that he wasn’t getting a cheeseburger. “Angie what are you doing?” Dean asked with his questioning look that looked like he was being blown out of his mind.

Angela had already started and looked up from what she was doing. “Putting the fast in fast food. You’ll like it.” She smiled, “Trust me.”


	4. Chapter 4

It didn’t go too bad in Dean’s opinion. When Sam came in saying that Angela needed help with something he thought it was something that was related to the case. Instead he found himself in the kitchenette in her room and she had him boil water and be a taste tester. He had to admit that it was clever since he didn’t see that she made Sam cut apples.

Now they were actually enjoying some sort of casserole thing that had him wondering why he ever wanted his usual bacon cheeseburger with extra onions. He suspected that the change in menu had something more to it than Angela saying that everyone and their mama was ordering everything off the menu. Since she was not saying anything more about it, he decided to ta a leaf out of Sam’s book and pester her later. Right now they had a case to deal with.

“So you did the impossible again Angie,” Dean said with a smirk as he finished that apple thing she made. It wasn’t pie but just as good.

“And what is that Dean?” Angela wasn’t looking at Dean but rather at her computer pad. She was scouring an email report from Saku; one of the first reports. She clicked on the next email and found the reply to her query that she made earlier after they got back from the Thompson farm.

Dean realized she was distracted by whatever she was reading but she was still paying attention to the gist of the conversation. He replied, “The fact that you got to talk to the kid when everyone else wasn’t allowed to.”

“He found me. I was looking near the woods.”

“Yeah while taking another one of your mysterious phone calls. Job from your dick friends?”

Angela cast a side glance with a slight smile. Dean only liked a few members of the order and that was a total of three and they all were members of the faculty of the academy. He seemed to take great offense that they let her know that she was on sufferance with them and it was one more thing that endeared him to her. She replied, “Something like that but yeah the kid found me and started talking to me.”

“So what did he say?” Dean was curious since all he and Sam managed to get were witness accounts from the widow and the farmhand Hickory. The kid was off limits and somehow she managed to talk to him.

“More or less that his dad was attacked by a werewolf. Gave a pretty good description of the thing too,” Angela replied as she read the email report. It wasn’t good news at all. Lycan had only voiced his suspicions.

_…While the Ruby Valley has been relatively quiet, there have been reports of people under throes of lycanthropy sighted. This is not unusual given that they are generally seeking peace of some sort since they have learned to control primal urges._

_However there are unconfirmed reports of one that has been spotted and bears the signs of what you suspect. A prodigy was asked to investigate and it has been confirmed. The madness of the lycanthropes is loose in the Ruby Valley. As you are well aware, there is one way to handle this…_

“Okay so it should be an easy hunt then. Silver bullet to the heart or you can just chop off the head as usual after a stakeout at the place,” Dean summed it up with a smile.

“No. It’s a bit more complicated than that,” Angela replied.

“You mean the missing kid right?” Sam quietly interjected. He hadn’t forgotten that part and he was getting the feeling that Angela was going to turn this into a full-fledged search for the kid even though the risk of the kid being turned was quite high.

“That and something else,” Angela replied.

“Never a dull moment with you around Angie,” Dean countered, making it sound like a compliment.

Angela gave a slight hum of amusement as she looked up from her reading. She replied, “Yes I am sure you like learning about things you haven’t heard of before. The reaction is priceless.” She grew serious and added, “Kidding aside, it is serious. While Ruby Valley is considered somewhat of a supernatural free zone, it is home to creatures that just want to be left alone and have blended in with the citizens of the valley.”

“Okay so what is so bad besides a renegade werewolf?”

“It’s a guess but I believe that our guy is suffering from the lycanthrope madness and that’s bad… very bad.”

“Lycanthrope madness?”

“Lycanthrope refers to were…”

“I know what it means Sam,” Dean replied. “Thanks for the lesson. I want to know what it is.”

Angela speared the remnants of her lunch and took a tentative bite. “Sort of like rabies but it is only found in werewolves and the sub races related to them. It’s not fatal to humans unless the werewolf in question kills them in a fit of rage. Worst case scenario is that victim gets bitten and you get another rabid werewolf.”

“Okay so shooting it and killing it is the way to go. What’s so hard about that?”

Angela made a slight face. Yeah it was simple just to kill it. That was the conventional way. The new way wasn’t too widely used because it wasn’t trusted well enough. There were some instances where it didn’t work and that was solved and since then, it worked. The thing was would they understand? She replied, “That is the conventional method, Dean.”

Sam perked up a bit. “So there is a cure of sorts for it?”

Angela heard the change in tone in Sam’s voice. She immediately thought of Madison. If only he knew the difference. She replied, “There is an antidote for the madness. It is not a cure for being a werewolf.”

“Right cause we all know that there is no such thing,” Dean replied clearly remembering that time in Frisco.

“I know that Dean,” Sam countered with a slight glare. “But if we don’t have to kill it, then it’s a good thing. If it has been living here, then once cured, it could go back to living a normal life.”

Dean thought about it some. It was the job to find the thing, hunt it and save people. That was the family business. Sure there had been some grey areas and hell they lived with one of them and she was the best thing since he and Sam started hunting together again. He looked and saw the traces of the puppy eyes forming on Sam’s face and quickly averted his gaze to look at Angela.

Her expression was a mixture of thoughtfulness and something else. He couldn’t blame her if she was nervous about what he truly thought and what he wanted to do. Did she think that he lumped her in the same category? That was a hard question to answer and probably any answer he could think to that would sound completely hypocritical. It occurred to him that she felt the same way and that by choosing an alternative solution, it eased some sort guilt she was feeling. Plus she was a fixer. She couldn’t help but try to fix things.

Making his decision he looked at the two pairs of eyes and said, “Alright. So what do you need Angie? Is this something out of the sorcerer’s book?”

Angela gave a genuine smile. She was glad that option was being taken. Plus they needed to find the missing boy. Once cured the werewolf could lead them to him. She replied, “Actually yes. But we need to come up with a plan to catch the thing.”

“Couldn’t you just shoot it like a tranquilizer?” Dean frowned at the suggestion.

Sam picked up on the purpose and replied, “Dean, once it’s cured, it could lead us to the missing kid.”

“Yahtzee,” Angela countered. She went over to where she had a map of the area, courtesy of the motel, and put it on the table. “The kid Nikki told me something about a glen and a rock formation. I am guessing that would be a good place to start looking for any signs.”

“Isn’t that part of the Thompson property?” Sam asked in a fit of worry since he didn’t want to get in trouble with the law. They had enough problems with that even though he suspected that Angela had a hand in keeping Henricksen busy.

“Nope,” Angela replied, “It’s public property, national forest type of thing. I did my research on that. Anyway I was think we could go there before nightfall. We have two more nights of the full moon before its gone. So we gotta work fast.”

“Isn’t that the case,” Dean muttered as he got up from his seat.

“It won’t be that bad,” Angela replied. “If we are lucky we might the kid there. Nikki said that was where they used to play but couldn’t anymore.”

“Alright, I get it. You wanna go now?”

“No time like the present.” Angela then gave a wicked grin at both the boys and said, “You two clean up. I’m going shopping.”

****

It was cold and dark in the cave. It also smelled funny too like something had died and rotted in there. Nate shuffled a little to take a look around and stood slowly. He winced at the sore spots that seemed to appear all over his body. Whatever it was that attacked him was big and heavy and maybe like being tackled.

Where he was at was something like a cave or a well. He looked up and could see the sky. It was a bright day and since he couldn’t see the sun, he couldn’t tell what time of day it was. All he knew was that he was not home and his parents were probably worried sick. He knew Nikki was probably worried and his voice was the last thing he remembered hearing.

He shouldn’t have run off like he did but he thought that his dad didn’t believe. He was just being a dumb teenaged bitch again. Hell Roman told him the same thing before he disappeared from school. From all accounts he thought Roman had a pretty cool dad even if he wasn’t home a lot. Sighing Nate walked around his area trying to see if he could find a way out.

He didn’t know exactly where he was but he remembered that he was heading towards the glen where he and Nikki used to play. They hadn’t played there in a while because of some strange things going on and he did tease Nikki by scaring him. That was about as far as they ever went into the forest so if he was beyond that, then he was screwed.

Walking around the well, Nate came across an opening that sort of led upwards. Well that was a start and if he got out, maybe he could figure out where the hell he was. He started to walk at a fast pace when he suddenly found himself taking a nosedive. He landed hard in the dirt and it felt like he was winded from that.

Suddenly a noise grunted. Nate slowly turned and looked around. There was someone else in the well with him. Slowly he turned around to sit up and take a look. What he found actually surprised him. He cursed himself for not noticing before and even more so that he didn’t notice that he had been tied with a tight knot around his ankle.

His companion was a man and he was unconscious on the ground. Nate edged cautiously closer to take a look. The guy looked like he was a drunk that passed out. He certainly smelled of alcohol… well he just stunk pretty bad. It was like the guy hadn’t had a bath in ages or something and then there were other smells that he didn’t even want to guess. Nate edged closer and he could smell the sickly smell of vomit nearby. Was the guy sick or something?

The guy in question groaned again and shifted. Nate backed away and waited until the guy settled down. It looked as if the guy was fine now and was sleeping off whatever was eating him. That allowed Nate to turn to his own predicament.

The rope was tied tightly around his ankle. He couldn’t pick it free no matter what and the well was too dark to see if there was a sharp tool that he could use to cut himself free. That was a bust. Maybe he could try his luck at the other end. So he followed the rope from his ankle and paused nervously as he walked past the sleeping guy. Once he was certain the guy was still asleep, he continued following the rope until he reached the wall.

Nate glanced around the well again and was amazed and frustrated that he hadn’t seen the rope before. A reasonable answer was that it was dark and he didn’t think about it. Yeah well that sounded like bullshit to him. He could admit that the light was too dim to see and it was probably late afternoon or something so the light would be fading behind the trees. What he could have done better was to observe his surroundings.

Focusing his attention on the end of the rope, his fingers brushed against what felt like an iron ring. He frowned at that since this place hardly looked like a place to have a settlement or a prison type thing. He shrugged his shoulders in an ‘oh well’ gesture and felt along the rope. The knot was tied just as tightly on that end as his ankle. Nate sat back in frustration. From the looks of things he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

 _Damn it. I can’t get out and I don’t know where the hell I am._ Nate put a fist to his forehead. At that moment his head started to ache. He must have hit his head harder than he thought but he wasn’t sure about hitting it on anything. He winced as the contact with the bridge of his nose caused a slight explosion of pain. He gritted his teeth and hissed out loud.

The passed out guy grunted and Nate made to get quiet. He didn’t want to attract any attention to himself. His head was starting to kill him though. He also felt pissed. At what he couldn’t say but he could say that he was angry that he was in this hell hole. The thing was he felt like he wanted to rip something apart like when he wanted to let the captain of the football team have it. He would be able to show off the moves that Roman had been teaching him after school.

The guy stirred a little and moaned as if in pain. Nate turned his attention towards that and moved away in order to not be there if and when the guy woke up. He sidled to a spot which seemed to be in the shadows. It was a nice place to hide for now while he got over this splitting headache. He looked up at the sky at the well opening and sighed. He rubbed his hand on his head and hoped that someone would find him or that he might think of something in order to get free.

He continued to look up and sighed again. _Damn it’s so hot._

****

“Angie, why in hell did you bring the fur ball?”

Dean watched as Angela tromped forward into the forest holding her cat under arm like she was holding a football. They had gotten the stuff to catch the werewolf and she managed to cook up the cure to the mad whatever it was called and had it ready to go. Frankly he was surprised that she even had access to the materials required for it since a couple of those ingredients were heavy duty even in her arsenal.

She admitted that she had the recipe for years and hadn’t really had the occasion to use it. What she revealed was that the last time she had used this formula was on a werewolf hunt back in 1983. She didn’t have to make it but her partner at the time did. After the job was done, he gave her the recipe and she copied it copiously into her ledger with her other remedies and stuff. So this was the first time that she was making it on her own.

Dean had confidence in her herbs and her ability to create cures and good stuff that didn’t taste like ass. He was pretty sure that she had confidence in her ability but then again she was like him and tried to keep it together for everyone’s sake even when her own sake was falling apart. For this she had him watch her and read out of her ledger the steps and everything. That was after she mentioned something about apprentices learning first by reading off the ingredients to whatever the maser was concocting. They made it and even with a few mishaps, she was able to fill three syringes of the stuff.

Dean wasn’t sure that it was enough but Angela assured him that the syringe full was enough to counter the effects of the madness. She had been calm but Dean could tell that she was angry with herself for wasting solution. She cursed her clumsy hands… well he assumed that she did in her well versed Italian. It served to make her more determined to get this job done. It was more because she was tired of dealing with mistakes and failures and that meant she had his case on her mind and probably her thoughts were drifting to thinking about the feelings of a certain Sasquatch.

Now they were out trying to get a fix on the location of the fugly so they could set up a trap and get this job over and done with. What he didn’t understand was why they brought the damn cat with them. They had her nose to sniff out the thing. Why did they need the damn cat?

Angela looked at Dean as she walked forward, her eyes checking for signs of a trail. She replied, “I may be able to sniff out the werewolf but this is for a specific kind of test.”

“What? Making sure that the fugly didn’t mark territory or something? Have it chase the cat?”

Sam wisely kept out of this argument… if it really was one. They decided on a pit to trap the werewolf. Being deep enough the guy wouldn’t be able to get out and would buy enough time to inject the cure. He had some apprehensions of exactly how it was going to go down. His first thought was that Angela was going to do something like put herself in the line of fire again.

He didn’t have to tell her but that business in Milagro had him scared. He honestly thought they were going to lose her. The wound had been nasty like that crazy vamp bitch had torn a piece of skin away and that led to the excessive bleeding. It also didn’t help that she continued to move and fight afterwards. The thought that she was doing what she had to do to save him from being vamp chow, it crossed his mind and that was what tempered any scolding he or Dean would have given her. It wasn’t like she reacted in normal ways in the first place. That much was certain, especially when they came out of the dream walk and then later at the Mystery Spot when she admitted remembering it all.

He watched as she and his brother went back and forth. She seemed a bit calmed down after the fiasco with the cure. She did admit she was still trying to deal with failure but this was a little different in his mind. He was guessing that she may have made mistakes before when making something new in her cauldron. He was broken out of his thoughts when he heard her talk back to Dean.

“I’ll show you when we get there,” Angela was saying as she kneeled on the ground to check some tracks. She put Setna on the ground and touched her fingers to the treads, feeling them out.

Dean looked at his brother who appeared to be lost in his own thoughts. _Damn it Sam stop watching her like she’s going to explode or something. Then again that bite scared you good._ It was scary even for him. They had a hard time staunching the bleeding and then Sam did the dirty work of stitching her up. That was just bad but she pulled through and that was all right in his book. For Sam though it was different and because of the fact that somehow she managed to remember most if not all the times he died on that Tuesday, that was another thing that was a shared thing between her and Sam.

Dean watched as Setna started getting curious and sniffing around away from Angela. He was about to warn her when he noticed the leash sitting on her thigh as she kneeled. A frigging cat on a leash? What was next? Having it pull a dogsled?

Angela was well aware of the fact that neither of the boys understood why she insisted on bringing Setna. She intended to show them once they found something related to their mad werewolf and then explain. Out of the two Sam was the more patient or the more wise since she and Dean had been going back and forth on that one but it was a nice diversion from other thoughts.

It was hard now that she acknowledged her feelings for Sam. She had thought at first that it was a mistake and tried her usual way of applying logic to all her actions. She had done that in front of Dean during one of their private conversations. In the end he said that there was no logic to how she felt and that it just was. That had her wondering what she was going to do about it and she could tell that it exasperated Dean since she seemed to treat it like it was a problem.

In the end, Dean said to just do what she had been doing before she had the blindfold taken off. That she could do and it worked but that didn’t mean it was perfect. Every lead they uncovered to a possible means of freeing Dean from his contract had turned up zilch and it was a pain through her heart every time she saw Sam get dejected and it she was reminded of what the Trickster told him. The obsession could kill him but it was actually killing her. Maybe not physically but emotionally it was. There was going to come a point when she would have to just…

The treads were unique. They were definitely animal but she could see other disturbances that were consistent with werewolf. The tread though… Angela hadn’t told the boys about Roman. She had given her word to Lycan that she would find the boy but she just wasn’t sure about adding more to the collective plate. It just seemed a little in excess but then again when was hers ever less than the plate she was trying to balance now?

_Roman did you get involved?_

Angela studied the treads. She was certain that there were two beings here. One was werewolf and the other was its sub species. Well Lycan and the family would tell anyone that they came first and then the Lupei and then the werewolves. That was evolution for you or just the Creator’s sense of humor. She could never tell and wasn’t sure if she wanted to. Suddenly she felt a tug on Setna’s lead and it was not a gentle one but a frantic one.

The cat was jumping and hissing near a stone structure. It meowed in agitation but then hissed and jumped away and made a growling noise. Angela tugged on the lead and pulled the cat away until she secured the beast in a firm grip. “Good boy.”

“What was that Angie?” Dean was the first to catch up after he heard the fur ball hiss and spit like it was going on a rampage or something.

Angela studied the structure. Definitely werewolf activity. Hell she could smell it and it was pungent. She replied, “That was why I insisted on the cat. You know the phrase fighting like cats and dogs? Well this is where that comes from. Cats are sensitive to werewolves and in particular the mad ones. A weird quirk and believe me there were studies done.”

It definitely was weird but at least they had the location and Dean was itching for a hunt. As much as he didn’t want to die, he still had a job to do. “So the fur ball found where this crazy thing hangs out. Let’s set up then.”

Angela studied the structure and tentatively touched it. She felt something prickle up her spine as she closed her eyes. She didn’t even feel the scratching that Setna did on her hand as he got away but didn’t go far because of the leash. Not again.


	5. Chapter 5

Visions were a bitch. That was all there was to say about that. It didn’t matter if they were painless or the most excruciating migraine imaginable. They were an annoyance that was… Well it was a pain in the ass. Though there were times when it was convenient and for Angela, it was a painless and convenient one.

As soon as she touched the rock structure, it felt like time and space did a fast forward or maybe a fast rewind. What she saw was the glen and in the center were two facing off. One was obviously a werewolf and the other was… Was that Lycan’s son?

The pair were facing off and growling. If it was Roman, then that was the most interesting look she had seen for his kind. Then again he was only half of Lycan’s species. His other half was a gift from his mother. Angela observed intently as she walked through the scene. She watched as they circled and both were sporting cuts and they were bleeding.

Out of nowhere, a boy came out. It looked like from the direction of the Thompson farm. It must be Nate. Angela watched with wide eyes as the werewolf became distracted and went after the boy. The other growled and jumped to put himself between the mad wolf and the boy. Another tussle and the two combated. There was slobbering and blood; Angela cringed and could smell the coppery tang of blood.

_Angie?_

Angela was still walking through the scene. She could smell the blood and could smell wet dog. Damn wolf species always smelled like wet dog. The two scuffled and Roman was flung away and the werewolf took off after the boy. Roman took off after and they disappeared and the image faded. Angela stood looking in the direction that they had gone.

_Earth to Angie._

Angela narrowed her eyes deep in thought. So Roman probably figured out that the werewolf was infected. He went out to confront the thing probably out of obligation to his people. They fought, missing kid enters and werewolf gets attracted to human flesh and then Roman goes after him. Out of all of this Roman was bitten. That meant Roman was infected possibly. So they had a really big problem and she only had three syringes with the cure.

_Angie!_

Angela jerked slightly after hearing her name being shouted at her. She looked at Dean and then Sam who were looking at her. She looked down at her hand and realized that she wasn’t holding the leash. She looked around and found Setna a good five feet away from the rock structure. She glanced at the boys and said, “It was here. Nikki said that he and his brother avoided this place for some time.” She then went to go pick up the leash and the cat.

Setna was still meowing in agitation when she picked him up. Taking care to avoid the claws, Angela cuddled the cat with her hands. She ran her fingers through the fur and tried coaxing it to purr. Poor thing was agitated beyond reason and now she knew why.

Sam watched the scene. He recognized that she had been seeing things like a vision. While it wasn’t like a blinding headache like what he used to get, he had seen her have them especially the ones that didn’t cause her pain. He stood back to observe her and what she was doing. He wanted to scold his brother for shouting at her like that. He didn’t though since she went to all business.

“I’m not sure but if the boys avoided this place for some time, this might be a stomping ground for the werewolf,” Angela was saying as she was looking around while holding onto the cat.

“So we should set up to catch the thing here then?” Dean was asking the question.

“This would be a good place,” Angela admitted still unsure about a few things. “However we could continue on and try to…” Something wasn’t right. She dropped Setna to the ground.

Both Winchesters picked up on her sudden change of demeanor. Dean pulled out his Colt and held it at the ready while Sam had the shotgun. Sam looked around the same as Angela was. Dean would have thought it amusing how they had similar movements but now was not time. He voiced in a low tone, “Angie?”

Angela held up her hand to indicate she needed him to be quiet. She looked around. There was no sound making it quiet. It was too quiet. She hadn’t noticed it before but now it was coming on strong. She kneeled slowly and put a rock on the leash since she didn’t want Setna to run away. Standing up, she slowly began walking around the glen and around the rock structure and ran her hand along the surfaces and listening. There was nothing there but the quiet was disturbing and made her thoughtful. Finally she said, “This is definitely where we should stake out the werewolf.”

Dean lowered his weapon but he held it at the ready just in case. “Well you certainly put on a show for out benefit,” he said as he looked around. He had begun to notice that it was very quiet in that part of the forest.

“Dean,” Sam hissed. He had to admit that it seemed to be something of a show on her part. Yet he knew her. She wouldn’t do that unless he was sure there was something to be wary of. Even if it was something that he was unfamiliar with like that dance they had been tricked into, he trusted her judgment.

“It’s all right Sam. I had to be sure Dean. I didn’t notice it before but it’s really quiet here. It’s like a taint. It was probably what warned Nikki and his brother to stay away,” Angela looked around before walking over to collect the cat and tie him to a tree so he wouldn’t wander off. “It will definitely be back. Even mad, werewolves still stick to established territory.”

Dean gave a slight shrug as he put his gun away. He picked up the shovel and tossed it to Sam. “Here you go. Your turn Sam.”

“Dude, no way,” Sam scowled as he caught the shovel. He threw it back at Dean.

“You wanna settle this the usual?” Dean raised his brow in a challenge to Sam. “Or I could pull the usual.”

Angela rolled her eyes slightly and walked over to the duffle that had been dropped when they came to the glen. She pulled out netting that she had procured as well as a length of rope. She walked in between the boys and said, “Forget the shovel. There is a much easier way to get this done.” She tossed the netting in between them.

The strongest smell of wet dog was closer towards the rock formation. So that was where they were going to rig it up. It had been a long time since she rigged up a snare like trap but like anything else it was engrained in her memory. She scoured for a good tree and slung the rope over. Once it was over, Angela looked over to see Sam and Dean looking at her. She looked back and asked, “Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help me?”

“I thought you wanted to dig a hole,” Dean countered.

“Too long. This is easier and a lot easier to hide,” Angela replied as she jiggled the rope. _Plus it would keep one out of the way if we come across Roman._

“Alright then,” Dean conceded and grabbed the net and brought it over with Sam’s help. They worked on the thing until it was set to her satisfaction. “Are you sure nothing is going to mess it up?”

“Judging by how quiet it is, nothing will be out here unless someone is looking for trouble,” Angela replied. _Because that is exactly what we are going to be getting into._

****

Nikki was feeling impatient. He wanted to know what that angel was going to do to get his brother back. He hung onto his mother’s hand as they went to get some things from the market. He didn’t understand why his mother was so reluctant to help the angel lady and her friends out and why she got mad at her. He didn’t say anything but he would. He knew that angel lady could help and he wanted his mother to see that.

Marjorie was anxious and worried. She guessed worst case scenario regarding her missing son. She didn’t know if he was dead or alive and frankly she was wondering if she was ever going to see her boy again. She had answered the questions multiple times to various officers about what happened to Randy. There was the added worry of the farm too. She had to run it if they were going to survive.

Out of all the officers though there was one pair that seemed to ask specific questions as if they were looking for something. The questions suggested that they might know what attacked and killed Randy. She could tell that they were being discreet about it. She wondered if they were some federal agents that had something secret going on or something. She refused to let them talk to Nikki.

Nikki though had other ideas and she found him talking to the woman that came with the two male agents. Marjorie remembered that she just hung in the background and was more interested in looking around. She had made a beeline to where Randy had run out of the woods and started looking around. That only confirmed that they were looking for something specific and it seemed that they knew what.

Marjorie hadn’t meant to be rude to the woman since she didn’t seem capable of hurting a fly at the time. She was just worried for Nikki. Her son later told her that the lady was an angel in disguise and that she would find Nate. She thought he was being a little imaginative since the woman was just a cop or something. She didn’t quite remember exactly what agency they said they worked for. She was more interested in why Nikki was calling the woman an angel in disguise. She certainly didn’t look like one since she had the impression they had wings and the like.

Upon questioning Nikki, Marjorie concluded that it was because the woman had a nice disposition and probably because she treated Nikki like an adult even though he was only eight. Nikki didn’t like to be treated like he was five and disliked condescending tones that people sometimes used. Satisfied with that Marjorie tried to get on the rest of the day hoping for news of Nate. The sheriff mentioned something about organizing a search. That was fine and dandy.

They were just arriving at home when she caught some movement in the forest edge. She pulled the car up and stopped. Peering out the window she noticed three figures coming out and recognized them as the cops that had come by earlier. One of the men was carrying a duffle of some sort, the other a shotgun and the woman was holding onto a cat? She wondered if they seriously were cops or something and would have told them off to get off her property. However technically they were not on it and they did a good job avoiding as the two boys were following the woman’s lead.

“Mom there’s the angel lady. See, she’s working to find Nate,” Nikki said as he tugged on her sleeve.

Marjorie seriously doubted that given what she was seeing. “Why do you think that?”

“She’s an angel, Mom,” Nikki said in a matter of fact tone. “She’s special. She knows what to look for.”

Marjorie looked at the three heading towards their car. She watched as they put things into the trunk and get in the car. They must be up to something and would probably be back. “Are you sure?”

“She was honest,” Nikki replied.

Marjorie looked at her youngest as she pulled a shopping bag out. She could actually marvel at the childlike faith he had in a complete stranger but she also found it worrisome. Then again Nikki was usually wary against other strangers. What made this one so different? Marjorie found out that she was curious about that but she was wary about approaching them. She had the card to contact them but what was she going to say beyond saying that she was inquiring about any leads? She couldn’t just go and barge in and demand to know who they were and what the hell they were doing. The idea of calling in the sheriff was an option though she had the suspicion that they had the upper hand in that regard.

“Mom, she’ll find Nate. The angel can find anything.”

Marjorie sighed as she led Nikki into the house. For his sake, she hoped so.

****

“So you gonna say anything?”

Angela looked up from where she was sharpening Absolution. The blade needed a sharpening and a polish and she had been neglectful of him lately. She could feel the displeasure through the pulsing in her hands. She had talked to him and told him that she was sorry but the stubborn blade insisted upon beating it into submission. That started a series of insults and name calling that sounded rather one sided but it was a back and forth and it looked like it was going to get ugly.

She was about to get nasty with it when Dean showed up on the pretense of getting some leftovers from lunch and declaring that he was starving. It was a lie and they both knew it but she enjoyed poking fun at Dean’s obsession with unhealthy food even though her dish was more healthy than a bacon cheeseburger with extra onions. No Dean was here for a different reason and Angela was sort of expecting him to eventually get around to asking questions. She replied, “Say what?”

She wasn’t doing it on purpose. The truth was, she knew he was after something but she just wasn’t sure what. Her mind was on other things and since it was another one of those strange cases that had things that required an explanation or two and then there was that business earlier… It was more along the lines of clarification.

Dean almost didn’t see it that way. First instincts had him think she was teasing and being infuriating on purpose. That was what she did when they first met and on occasion when he was being an ass. Second glance told him that she was just making sure of what he was looking for so she could respond accordingly. Once or twice they had been on different pages and they had no idea what the other was talking about and both times were after the dream root thing and the Mystery Spot. So he clarified, “What happened that you decided to play Chef Boyardee?”

Angela looked up thoughtfully as she ran the sharpener along the blade. She had done this enough times so that it was like second nature. To some it looked like she was being one of those daredevil types and it got scary. She didn’t notice as she replied, “Like I said, everyone and their mama was ordering the whole damn menu. I thought I could make something faster and more healthy.”

“That’s what you said but what really happened? You forget I can see things too,” Dean replied as he sat in the chair opposite Angela. He gave the mildest of scowls when Setna jumped on his lap and made himself comfortable.

“Poor thing has been out of sorts. I should have trained him,” Angela replied as she continued the motions in a slow and languid manner.

“You’re changing the subject Angie.”

Angela sighed. She knew that Dean wasn’t going to let it go. If he saw Sam’s expression when they came back then the jig was up on her surface reason. She could still try. “No I’m not. Just observing and it’s true. Setna’s not happy with me at the moment.”

Dean gave a knowing look. “Angie, is this about the Rose again?”

“No,” Angela replied.

Absolution decided to jump in the conversation. He pulsed powerfully in her hand. He was not going to remain silent on this one. He did it several times.

Angela looked down and said, “Hey, I don’t need you on my ass about this. You’re a bloody sword, how could you remember all that?”

If Dean thought she was crazy for talking to her sword, he was doing a good job of not showing it. Then again he wasn’t surprised. She had kept insisting that it was a living being even though it was incased in a body of steel that was designed to kill. He joked, “I take it Absolution is scolding you.”

“Yes and insisting upon spilling everything. Bloody sword,” Angela replied as she scowled at the blade.

“Look Angie, I just want to know if something happened and if you or Sam are fighting or something. I could pester Sam but you know how he is.”

Angela made a slight face at that. Yeah she knew Sam and she knew Dean. “No we’re not fighting.” She looked at Absolution who was pulsing in her hand. He was really being insistent on her telling Dean everything and he wasn’t even there! Sighing she said, “They were playing… ‘it’ today.”

Dean didn’t have to ask her what she meant by the word ‘it’. He knew that she was referring to ‘Heat of the Moment’. “Oh. Sam okay?”

“If you mean jerking around like a crazy man, no. He held up pretty good. He’s a lot stronger than you give him credit for Dean.” Angela put her whetstone down and put her elbows on her knees.

“I give Sam plenty of credit,” Dean countered.

Angela looked at Dean with a penetrating gaze. It was neither soft nor hard but more along the lines of being thoughtful. The head shrinks called it being overly codependent but what the hell did they know? She knew that they depended upon one another and now she was being included in that circle and on this job, if you were lucky to have someone who would do anything for you, then you truly were blessed. However even she knew that there were things you had to let go. She replied, “I know you do.”

“You saying that I baby him then?”

Angela recognized the slight defensive tone that was starting to rise. She should have just kept her mouth shut. As it was, she starting digging this hole. Now she had to dig herself out. “I didn’t say that either,” she replied with a quiet tone.

“Then what? You trying to tell me that I shouldn’t look after Sam, my number one job since Dad gave him to me as a baby?”

“Dean,” Angela said feeling suddenly tired. “What I meant was to once in a while let him jump off the cliff and find out if he can fly or not. It’s how we learn what we truly are capable of.” She ran a hand through her locks. “You weren’t there Dean when Sam begged the Trickster to return us to that Wednesday. You didn’t hear every single word about the ‘lesson’ that needed to be learned. You were lucky to not be a witness and be powerless to stop it. You’re lucky you don’t remember all those Tuesdays.”

Dean calmed down. She was right in that he was lucky he didn’t remember. Thinking about it though made him pissed that Sam had to go through with that. Then there was Angela who was virtually powerless to do anything about it and the sad thing was that she seemed jaded; like she knew that lesson too well. He could be grateful that she hadn’t become a cynic. “So you’re saying I should…”

“I’m not saying that you should give up on doing what you do best and that is being the guard dog,” Angela replied astutely aware that she was now giving Ruby’s song and dance but in a different key. _Figures. Then again we both have different definitions on preparation and opportunity._ “What I’m saying is let him make a few decisions. If he falls, just be there and tell him to get back on the horse.”

To Dean it made sense but it was hard to let go of something that he had done his entire life. He practically raised Sam when Dad was off hunting and chasing demons. He was the one who made sure that Sam had food, clothes and went to school. He helped Sam with his homework even though he thought time could be better spent doing other things. He basically had been the parent to Sam and compared to how she treated them both, she was more mature at letting things go. “I take it that you know from experience?”

Angela gave a slight smile as she replied, “I have done the equivalent to babysitting. Most is what I have gone through.” She gave a shrug of her shoulders. “I may have been born in a time when girls were expected to look pretty but I was taught to think for myself. When it came to hunting, there was only so much theory could get you. They rest came from experience; trial and error. That’s my usual spiel when I pick up my strays.”

Dean knew she meant the various hunters she came across and trained. He wasn’t blind either in the way how she taught them things. She would tell them and then let them make up their own minds about what to do. “Jump off a cliff to see if you can fly?”

Angela chuckled a little weakly at that. “Someone, an old, old man told me long ago. It was about the world changing and indeed it was at the time. He said that people stand upon a precipice of change and that the world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. He warned me to watch for such moments and when it comes to not hesitate to leap and that it is only then when you fall that you learn if you can fly.”

Dean thought that to be very deep and heavy. It almost sounded like whoever the old bag was that told her that was expecting the end of the world. He didn’t hesitate to voice it, “Sounds like he was expecting you to fight an apocalypse or two.”

“Hurtled into chaos and I fight and then the world shakes before my feet,” Angela replied with a wry grin. She gave a slight shake of her head as she felt the pulse from Absolution. She looked at the blade and said, “What? You were the one that said that.” She gave a slight roll of her eyes as she looked back at Dean. “I don’t know what the old windbag meant but it was like what I had been doing all my life and that is evident in choices that we make.”

Dean thought about it some. While he wasn’t in sure agreement about everything that Angela was saying. He could see her point in that Sam needed to make his own choices and maybe that was why she was biding her time with Ruby. He knew how much the two despised each other and yet she was the one willing to work with the bitch because it was their choice and idea and she wasn’t going to let them drown so to speak. Even if their choice was wrong, Angela never waved it in their faces but merely adopted the stance that said try again. “I think I see your point Angie. I’m just glad you were there when it happened.”

Angela couldn’t help but grin. It turned into a chuckle and a slight laugh. “I think everyone was thinking I was the crazy one shouting at the staff and saying the things I said. I didn’t expect much from Sam when we got away and I didn’t make a big deal out of it.”

“Thanks for telling me though. I thought it was something else,” Dean replied as he put the cat down. He stood up and said, “Well I guess we better get ready for our stakeout tonight. You sure this is going to work?”

“It’ll work Dean. I am just wary about what we are up against,” Angela admitted. She had explained her idea and that it was how werewolves were captured in the past. “It is not like the one you killed in Frisco. Some can be quite intelligent.”


	6. Chapter 6

Angela checked and double checked everything and made sure that there was food and water for Setna. There was no way that she was going to take him. He had enough freaking out for the day and at least Dean was able to calm him down before he left after giving her a thoughtful look. She knew that she had let it slip that she knew something about Frisco though she could do a snow job and convince him that he told the story to her. That wasn’t going to fly though since she and Dean had this honesty thing going between them.

While things were honest between them, she felt like she wasn’t being honest with Sam. There was good reason for it since there were a lot of things on her mind. The first and foremost were her precise feelings for him. She couldn’t tell him how she felt for the sole reason that she didn’t want him to feel obligated. Well that wasn’t all of it and the small reason was one that she didn’t fully acknowledge because she didn’t want to at the moment. The second was the fact that now she wasn’t going to get any help from the council, she was forced to look into alternative methods if any and she was apprehensive about it.

If anything she kept thinking about not the fact that the boys were her weakness but the fact that the obsession could kill emotionally and physically if the extremes were taken. Her own obsession with Azazel had gotten Sam killed and Dean ultimately in this mess and now she felt obligated to fix it and try to make it right and it was mostly for Sam.

“You know you look so pretty when you worry about things that are ultimately not in your control.”

Angela looked up from where she had picked up Absolution. She could feel him quiver in her hand. Poor thing could feel every emotion and he could only respond to it the only way he knew how. She was grateful for his support but sorry that he had to feel every little emotion every time she touched him. Just another thing to curse her very existence and yet Absolution had been like a best friend since he didn’t seem to judge anything she did but he was honest. Dean and Sam still had trouble believing that she was actually talking to him and they understood each other but they didn’t dismiss it as outright crazy.

She looked at her unwelcome visitor and gripped Absolution firmly. She replied, “We control our own destiny Crowley. I don’t care what anyone else says.”

Crowley laughed a little at that. He found it greatly amusing that she was trying to be tough and intimidating with her blade while trying to hide what her emotions were. He was enthralled with her and he loved every emotion she was capable of. He especially enjoyed seeing her tormented. To him it was a true showing of character. “You can tell yourself that all you want but you know as well as I that in the grand scheme of things there are certain things that have to happen and you have no choice.”

“There is always a choice,” Angela replied. She still had Absolution in her hand as she crossed her arms. She schooled her features into a bland expression. “What do you want Crowley?”

Crowley couldn’t help but smile, “Oh the usual. I pop in and dangle a tantalizing piece that is connected to what you want most in the world.”

“And said morsel has strings attached,” Angela replied as she walked to where her chakram was. She put it on her belt saying, “And you know my answer Crowley. No deals that involve my soul.”

Crowley gave a devil may care look and replied, “Sweetheart, I could care less about your soul. It is much more valuable being free and tormented. It makes you more attractive and I wonder if that’s what Dean sees.”

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” Angela replied. She pulled out her handgun and strapped it on. If a cop stopped her then she could flash a badge or a permit. She also checked to make sure the syringes were ready to go. “Frankly I’m surprised that you don’t even want to attempt a deal for my soul. Most would.”

Crowley laughed at little, “You presume too much sweetheart.”

“Why not? After all it would be a big notch on the proverbial belt to have a valuable player in the grand scheme of things on a leash,” Angela replied in a taunting tone. “I’ve heard the scuttlebutt going around. To have Absolution as hell’s bitch would be the ultimate thumb in the eye.” She felt Absolution tremble in her hand. He was feeling miffed and concerned that she was being foolish in revealing her hand.

Crowley scrutinized Angela from head to toe. He gave a hum and a sly grin, “It seems to me that not everyone shares your view of things love. While it is true that you would be a prize for everyone on my side of the board, it would be bad for business.” He looked around the place. She hadn’t been diligent with this place unless she was doing this on purpose. Either way he would bite.

“You know, your little underling Carla said the same thing. It makes me wonder if you are kidding yourself,” Angela looked at Crowley with a raised brow. She was curious. Everyone kept saying it was bad for business. Dean she could understand why since he killed and was virtually a walking, talking felony vice. Her, she thought maybe because she killed and the like and she had a secret the hell bitches would love to exploit. Besides she had a sword that was supposed to be of legend and that was a prize in of itself.

“Indeed you are a prize sweetheart. However to condemn your soul makes you useless,” Crowley replied.

“Bullshit. I was condemned the day I was born. You and I both know that anything not human is damned.” Okay that was laying it on thick even for Angela. Besides she believed that what you are didn’t always define who you were. “At least that is the justification for you hell bitches.”

“Hmm. You really seem to have it figured out,” Crowley replied with the sarcasm dripping from his voice. She was so wrong but then again the man in charge of that section downstairs did a number on her as well as his bitch of a daughter. “But you are wrong. There are things about you that make you off limits.”

“Really? And here I was thinking that you didn’t like me.”

“Sweetheart, you are the love of my life,” Crowley countered and finally reached out to tap her chin with his first finger. She was holding Absolution after all and he wasn’t going to risk being run through. That thing could kill him. “And when you are in a temper… everyone cringes in delight.”

Angela listened to the word choices. Crowley just about admitted that aside from being obsessed with her, he was afraid of her; well him and the other demons under his pay grade were afraid of her. Why she couldn’t think of at the moment. According to Dean, she only got scary when she went incredible Hulk on them and vamped out but then again it was only if someone threatened her boys. “Just the thing to make a girl nice and gooey inside.”

Crowley let out a laugh. Oh he knew he had it bad for her and he loved her a lot. She was a pistol and had bite. He replied, “You really are something love. Now tell me you seriously you aren’t considering let me help you get what you want.” He looked at her like a parent testing their child but he knew she wasn’t going to cave into that look.

The last thing Angela wanted was for Ruby showing up and deciding to ‘save’ her again. Yet an idea occurred to her. She was hating herself for coming up with it but then again she might not have to get anyone else involved. All she needed was what she had stashed away. She looked at Crowley with a slightly raised brow.

At that moment Absolution decided to make his opinion known. She could feel him pulsing in her hand. He was asking her if she was sure about what she was going to do. It was coming on a little strong.

_I am sure old friend. I hate to admit when people I strongly dislike are right._

Absolution pulsed again. She could sense his nervousness in the decision but she was warmed by the fact that he would stand by her. He always did even when he disapproved. It was better than she deserved and had treated him.

_You are a better friend than I deserve._

Angela gave a wry smile when she had Absolution’s answer. She looked at Crowley and said, “I said I wouldn’t agree to any of your terms. I know the nature of your deals Crowley and as much as I like you, I won’t stoop to that low.”

Crowley studied her. She had something up her sleeve. She would deal but only if it was acceptable to her. “Alright love. How about you tell me your terms? I am willing to deal and it is completely within your providence since you are a broker.”

Angela gave a raised brow. Crowley was offering to let her set the terms? “You must be getting desperate.”

Crowley stepped forward and looked at her in the eye. His voice became seductive and low, “Sweetheart, I am merely helping the best horse win. I am willing to stoop to the lowest of the low to help you out if you would only let me in.” He put his hand on the side of her neck and watched her eyes turn into hard glints. It was more of control not to rip him to shreds and he liked that.

Angela let Crowley touch her and kept her thoughts to herself. She knew Absolution was feeling it but he wouldn’t react since he trusted her to do what she needed to do. She kept her gaze hard and replied in a sultry and firm voice, “You know what the old saying is about dealing devils? They will turn on you.”

“You know I won’t love. I only take what is fair and let me make that point clear.”

Angela continued to stare at Crowley. He returned the look. It was a silent battle of wills as both sized each other up. She let Crowley continue to stroke her skin. She just kept her hard gaze as he stared at her and silently repeated what he had been hounding her for.

****

It was getting dark. The shadows started casting their long trains across the ground as the trees became the looming shadows they were in the books. Soon the moon will be out; the full moon. It had many names in every culture depending on the season or its appearance in the sky. This one like the one before was a red one. Such a thing foretold the spilling of blood and it would carry on into morning. It also went by the name of the hunter’s moon and it certainly was a night to be hunting.

No he wasn’t supposed to hunt to kill. He was supposed to rescue the boy. The boy had no part in this. He stumbled across the confrontation and ended up paying the price. If he managed to get free, he would go to the little one. The goal was to protect the boys. Then he would deal with the mad one.

No everyone was the enemy. It was kill or be killed. Everything was up for grabs but the hunger was so strong. The need for blood was so tantalizing…

Catch them and peel the skin from the bones…

Save the boys. That was the goal. Then find a way to deal with the mad one…

The voices were warring inside his head. There was room for only one. That was the way of it. Now there were more than one and his head hurt. He knew what he had to do but he smelled fresh flesh on the air. It smelled good and tantalizing but dangerous.

There were hunters out there. They were coming for him. Kill them first before they got you; that was the law of things. Hunters showed no mercy. He would get them first before they got close enough. Then he would finish things. The boys were a bonus.

He grabbed his head in pain. The voices were too much. He had to fight it. He was better than that. He had been taught the laws of his people. He knew the difference between good and evil… but he wanted to tear those hunters apart. He wanted to tear the mad ones apart. They were a menace to society. Nice and fast were good but slow and steady was just as good. Oh it was agonizing as he pawed the ground. The voices were excruciating in his head. It was time and in a fit of agony he lifted his head and let out a howl.

****

Going on a night hunt in the middle of a forest was sort of like a walk in the park. However when you were hunting something that was twice as dangerous it was more like trying to walk on a lake of ice. One misstep and you fell into the depths. In this case, the depth was death and the chance of having your heart ripped out and eaten.

The light was fading fast as the trio left the Impala to stake out for their werewolf. Sam and Dean had their guns and one syringe each. It had been decided that they would each had one so if they had the shot, they could take it. All they had to do was jab it in like one would do an epi pen and push the plunger in. That meant getting close but if they caught the thing in the trap, then it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Angela walked with her chakram and handgun on her belt. She also had a small insurance policy just in case the tranquilizer in the serum cure didn’t knock out their werewolf. Absolution was strapped to her back. She looked like the female version of Rambo but she was all about preparation as she said to Dean after he joked about her going overboard with the weapons. In her experience luck is all about preparation and opportunity.

Maybe she didn’t need Absolution but when dealing with mad werewolves, they tended to be like a redneck on PCP. Having Absolution was another insurance policy. All she had to do was nick the werewolf on the shoulder and that would slow him down by roughly by twenty percent; much like one square foot of drag slowing a falling body. Besides she owed Absolution.

The shadows looked like jagged curtains as they stretched over the ground. They sought to envelope everything in shadow. It was as if it were an attempt to thwart the three hunters from succeeding in their mission. It threw elements as darkness approached such as a slight breeze. As they neared the area, the silence became more thunderous. There were no birds, no insects; no sign of any wildlife typical of the area.

They made it to the glen and found that it looked a lot different than it had earlier in the day. Angela checked to make sure that the trap was still set and made sure that the netting was sufficiently covered. She took the opportunity to sniff around and could pick up the wet dog smell. She was going to have to do better than that in order to differentiate between the werewolf and Roman and stick them both to save them from the madness. Right now she had a generalization and that was the best she had to go on. So she started following the scents to where the major deposits were. Maybe there was a pattern.

Meanwhile Sam and Dean were doing a general patrol. They didn’t have any super senses but they had been trained to look for signs of things. Dean looked, trying to see through the trees. The quiet was unsettling. It reminded him a little too much of his dream walk. It had become eerily quiet after he blasted his double. He was now expecting something to jump out from the shadows. He then heard a howl that sounded like a wolf’s and wondered if he was in a freaking nightmare. He muttered, “Sometimes I wish the setting wasn’t so Hollywood.”

“What would be the fun in that?” Sam looked over at his brother and grinned.

Dean gave a slight scowl and replied, “Screw you bitch.”

“You’ll have to find your way to a decent pick up line first.”

Dean couldn’t scowl anymore. His face broke into a grin. “Sammy you are getting…”

Sam raised a warning hand, “Don’t start Dean. You know that it’s going to end ugly.” He was referring to the fact that what started in insults turned into an off topic argument. He lowered his hand and it gently brushed the syringe that Angela had given him. He pulled it out to take a look at it and make sure that he didn’t break the needle off. He examined the liquid and had a thought, “Dean, how many things out there could be ‘cured’ by something like this?”

Dean turned from the direction he had been looking in and saw his brother looking at the syringe. Great his brother was turning on the wheels in his brain again. “What?”

“Just a thought, Dean. I mean Angie knows things we don’t know like this for the werewolf Croatoan thing.” It was the closest similarity he could draw to what Angela told them about this virus or whatever it was. Rabies was another one and neither seemed to be a better choice since you could be infected by bites/cuts and fluid exchange. “What else is there?”

“You’re meaning a cure for a werewolf? Sam you know that there’s no such thing. I checked Angie’s collection.” Dean paused to continue walking. They had started going off in a direction to see if they could lure the thing to the trap. “Are you thinking she might have a potion in her cauldron kit to save me? That is so Harry Potter.” He shook his head in slight exasperation. The only thing he could come up with was a longevity potion and that was just as ridiculous.

“Like I said, it was just a thought,” Sam replied as he put his syringe back in his pocket. “It’s not like she’s been particularly enthusiastic in helping.”

“Just what is that supposed to mean?”

Sam realized that he had said his last thought out loud. He just couldn’t understand Angela. She was kind and considerate especially earlier with the whole Asia thing. Yet when they were sidetracked from visiting the shaman, she seemed relieved or something else. In fact she had been off since they left Milagro. True he had been just as embarrassed as she was at being forced to dance for everyone’s entertainment but she got over stuff like that easily.

“Sam?”

“Nothing just seems like she doesn’t want to help with your deal.”

Dean tried hard not to roll his eyes, “Did it ever occur to you that she doesn’t like to get her hopes up? I think she learned her lesson the last time and doesn’t want to be disappointed.”

“It was just an observation Dean.”

 _Yeah and you seem to think that she doesn’t care. She does Sammy, more than she’s willing to let show and if you only knew why._ Dean replied, “Just don’t take some things she does at face value. You were the one that there was a method to her madness.”

Sam knew that and was about to say something when tackled him full force. The sheer force of it had him tumbling along the ground. He felt the dirt and dry brush scrape his hands as he tried to steady his momentum so he had some modicum of control. He landed on his stomach and he was certain that his back was to their werewolf and that wasn’t a good and even more so when he noticed that his gun looked a good one to two feet away from him.

The growl sounded feral and close and Sam turned to see what looked like a man but one of those crazy hermits. It was a werewolf since he recognized the eyes and the look but a good look told him that what Angela described didn’t do what he was seeing any justice. He slowly got to his hands and knees to not startle the thing and glanced in the direction of his gun. His hand also went to the syringe. He felt his throat convulse as he damped down the mix of fear and adrenaline that was shooting through his system.

The werewolf sprang and charged. Sam moved at the same time towards his dropped gun. He managed to grab it and point it but the werewolf was too close. In a way Sam was lucky that he was batted away with a hard back hand and sent flying. There was a loud bang and it sounded almost like a whimper to his ears. He turned his face in the direction where it came from.

Dean reacted and pulled up his gun. He couldn’t fire straight away or risk hitting Sam. He was good but not that good and he wasn’t callous to put his own brother at risk like that. He waited and watched as Sam slowly got to a point so he could grab his gun. He also saw his brother reach for his syringe.

_Don’t worry about that now Sammy. Just get your gun and shoot the thing._

It was just like Sam to remember their purpose in the hunt. Dean couldn’t deny it that his brother was a better person in terms of showing empathy but he was worried that it was going to get him killed one of these days. Dean felt his muscles tense up as Sam made his move. He followed the werewolf but the thing was too damned fast. He had never seen one move like that and it was a split second before he realized that the thing backhanded his little brother into a fricking tree.

All bets were off now. Dean was going to shoot the thing and to hell with the cure. Time to do things the conventional way. He took aim and fired. He hit the thing and he was sure he did because it whimpered. Sure enough the werewolf was grabbing his shoulder and peering at the wound. It was curious behavior in his mind.

However his shot only served to piss the werewolf off. It looked at him and gave the nastiest glare or growl that Dean had ever seen. The eyes alone said that the thing was not only pissed, it was beyond pissed. Dean wasn’t prepared for the sudden lunge it did and reacted by putting up his arms slightly. No contact was made however as Dean watched it look like it got broadsided by a truck but there was nothing there. He turned to see Angela walking toward them her hands were lowering from some motion she had made. She pulled the syringe from her belt and threw it like a dart and it buried itself in their werewolf’s chest.

Dean had been so distracted that he didn’t notice a second shadow slink up. It jumped him and gave him a nice slice across his shoulders. He was able to throw it off easily and did so not caring if he hurt the damn thing. He thought there was only supposed to be one of them. Now there were two of them?

The blur that attacked him had jumped up and started in on Sam who had managed to get to his feet. It jumped and gave him a nice scratch on his forearms but he was able to dodge it. Out of reaction he countered with a punch and the thing staggered back but was back on its feet. Sam didn’t have a gun but he had the syringe… like that was going to help. Still it was a weapon.

“Sam.”

Sam looked and caught the gun that Dean tossed him. He brought it up just as he caught sight of it and aimed. He had no idea what it was.

“Don’t!” Sam felt a body block or something come down on his arm. He was pushed out of the way of the thing.

As it turned out Angela had jumped in to prevent him from firing. She forced the gun down and it went off into the ground. At the same time she pushed him and her out of the way. The new werewolf paused and looked like it was startled. It then took off into the forest allowing Angela and Sam to get up.

Dean was livid, “What the hell Angie? Why did you stop Sam from putting a bullet in that thing?”

Angela looked off in the direction the werewolf went in and then back at Dean. “That werewolf is our missing kid and he’s infected too.” She then took off running to try and catch him. The other one was passed out from the tranquilizer and blood loss. He would be fine.


	7. Chapter 7

It was one crazy night tied up in a not too neat bow as Dean and Sam took off after Angela. Dean was more or less pissed that she put Sam in danger by preventing him from shooting the werewolf. Well she didn’t really put Sam in danger but what she did could be considered stupid but and as much as he wanted to scold her, he couldn’t fault her for that. It dawned on him and along with her explanation that it was the missing kid. She wanted to cure him of his madness but to him he wondered what the point was since there was no cure for being a werewolf.

So now it was a game of cat and mouse as they chased after the kid wolf. Angela ran heading in the direction she saw the kid go in. That would only carry them so far. She needed to get a fix on the kid and that meant using her nose and looking for signs.

It was bad. Newly turned werewolves were fast little harridans and even more so if they were younger. She felt bad for this kid who didn’t deserve this fate. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. She continued, running on the balls of her feet until she came to a small clearing. The kid could be anywhere. The general direction was the way she was facing but she had to be sure otherwise they would end up going in circles.

Pausing she took in a moment to look around. The shadows and nightfall did little to help in giving signs. Her night vision was excellent but she needed more. The moon was out and full and provided the only source of light. She took tentative sniffs as she looked in all directions.

“Lost the trail?”

Angela didn’t answer Dean’s query not out of rudeness but because she was busy concentrating. She took sniffs to the left and the right and all around. The best bet was to go with the scent that was strongest and the bonus was that she noticed some recently broken brush. She motioned with her hand, “Let’s go,” and took off in the general direction.

It didn’t take long for them to realize that the kid was heading towards home. That could be bad in Angela’s book. There cases of vampires returning to family members and they ended up being the first meal. That could very well be the possibility in this case. She just hated to think about the possibilities that could arise. She put an extra spurt of energy into her muscles and increased her speed. She had to get there and fast and stop that from happening. She slowed only to take slight sniffs and made sure that she was on the right trail until suddenly it went cold.

Dean felt like he was being forced to run in a marathon. Sam didn’t look any better… well actually he was not too far behind Angela. He felt like a pussy and a weakling for being last. At one point he figured out that the kid wolf was heading back towards home and noticed it when Angela seemed to go faster and of course Sam had to follow. So he upped the ante finding some energy in reserves and actually managed to catch up.

The benefit of being last was that you could see the thing coming at you. The downside was that you often arrived too late to prevent something and had to watch something follow through and it usually was bad. In Dean’s case he arrived to see Angela getting to her feet and Sam charging at her like he was going to tackle her.

As it turned out when the trail went cold, Angela came to a full stop aware that for maybe a few good minutes she was alone and that was actually not a good thing. Her shoulders were squared as she caught the faint sound of rustling. The kid was smart. He knew she was on to him and he was going to make sure she was stopped in her tracks. The rustling continued but she couldn’t pinpoint the direction until he came out growling.

The kid flew at her and she caught him full in the chest. She landed on the ground with a hard ‘oomph’ but held on tight. She moved to avoid getting bitten while the kid snapped his new sharp pointy teeth at her. She reacted by letting her teeth show themselves hoping that it would scare him off. Most werewolves backed off when they saw vampires and for good reason. This kid didn’t and he continued to try and bite her.

They rolled as they tried to get the upper hand. The confrontation allowed Angela to get a good look at what they were facing. What she saw surprised her and she tried to get the upper hand. She was pinned though on the ground and couldn’t reach what she wanted. The kid rolled so that he was under her and he gave a swipe with his nails and got her across the cheek, forcing her back.

Angela stood as she staggered back with a hand to her cheek. He got her pretty good since it was deep and she could feel the blood on her fingers. She glared back at the kid who lunged forward and actually leapt over her and into the brush. She whirled around to try and spot him but he was gone. She growled in slight frustration but then she heard Sam catching up and asking, “You okay Angie?”

Angela looked at Sam and replied, “Fine. Kid’s smart and is trying to stop us.”

“Is he… infected?”

“I am assuming that yes,” Angela replied as she moved cautiously around. She could hear the kid. She had to be ready.

Sam noticed the scratch on her cheek and winced at it. It looked pretty deep but he knew she wasn’t going to stop for it now. He wrapped his hand around the syringe in his pocket. “Can you see him?”

Angela didn’t get to answer since Sam was knocked down from behind. She reacted and lunged to grab the kid off of him. Her next move would have been to actually strike the kid. She hesitated though and it cost her with the kid’s own punch to her head. He growled and disappeared into the brush again as soon as Sam started to move.

Sam was up and on his feet trying to see where the pain in the ass kid went. He didn’t want to shoot and kill the kid; not if there was a way to save him even though there was no cure. Yet he was feeling the temptation to pull it out. He resisted though and was relieved when Angela was starting to get up. It was then he spotted the kid. He was lying in wait like a predator would and aiming to jump and bite her from behind.

Without thinking the whole thing through, Sam just went with the first reaction and ran. He had his hand on the syringe and charged. He didn’t mean to tackle her but he grabbed Angela by her waist and wrenched her around so that she was protected from the kid’s advance. He turned as they fell to catch the kid and that was the scene that Dean caught as he finally made it.

Dean watched his brother play hero as he wrenched Angela out of the way and took the brunt of a nasty swipe with those claws on his shoulder and torso. All three tumbled down with a crash. The kid stood up first and looked at Dean with a surprised look. Out from his abdomen was the syringe sticking out and it was empty. Sam had jammed it in at the last second.

Dean had no idea what to do at the moment. He slowly reached for his gun out of habit as his concern grew when Sam and Angela didn’t move. The kid was thoroughly startled for the moment but then Dean saw a sort of wild look creep into his eyes. There was a noise then that was like the wolf howl from earlier. Dean almost wanted to roll his eyes at that when he noticed the kid stiffen and then he turned and ran into the forest, away from the direction of the Thompson farm.

Dean wanted to stop the kid but his first concern was the two unmoving bodies on the ground. He raced over towards them but was stopped when something large and hairy jumped out. It certainly was not a cute and friendly puppy but it was growling and menacing. Dean’s first thought was that it was a black dog but it was not the right shape. It was huge; almost like you could ride it. His first thought was that his trusty Colt 911 wasn’t going to cut it with this thing even if he had a silver bullet in it. Still he couldn’t help but try.

The thing advanced towards him slowly and he backed away as he gripped the handle of his gun slowly. It lunged and Dean dove out of the way. It landed on the werewolf that they had stuck earlier. Dean looked on in shock as he watched the new thing and the werewolf tussle. Apparently the tranquilizer wasn’t enough this time around.

He almost jumped when he felt someone grab him. He turned to find that it was Angela looking like she had been rolling around in dirt and sporting a deep set of scratches on her face. She looked at him and asked, “Dean, do you still have it?”

“What?” It took a moment for Dean to realize that she meant the last syringe. He looked through his pockets and came up empty. “Shit.”

Angela didn’t need an explanation. Dean couldn’t find it. Well she could provide a well enough distraction. She did have an insurance policy too. “Find it.”

“Don’t do nothing stupid Angie,” Dean warned with his most perfected I-am-the-big-brother-and-what-I-say-goes-because-I-said-so look.

“Stupid is virtually my job description,” Angela replied with a slight smile. She took off running and paused to judge the situation.

The two combatants were so busy fighting that they didn’t even notice her there. It seemed that the werewolf was being careful not to get bitten so that meant the cure worked. At least he was being somewhat reasonable and from the looks of things he had his werewolf half in control so he was one of _those_ werewolves and that was a good thing in this case.

She stayed back while the two clashed like an illegal dog fight. It was only when the werewolf pulled out a silver knife to kill the other that she interfered. She jumped in between the pair and shot a warning look at the werewolf. Her teeth were out so he could clearly see her vamp half. She didn’t leave her back turned to the mad wolf behind her. She turned and stared full on into its eyes which was as stupid as one got since that was a nonverbal sign of challenging authority.

The werewolf watched the scene and stood back while Angela kept her gaze locked on the wolf. She slowly reached into a small pouch hanging on her belt. She held her hand out as if to warn the thing to stay back but with her. She began to maneuver so that it followed her and diverted its attention away from Dean who was looking for the last syringe.

Suddenly Angela put a spring into her muscles and leapt forward so that she was on the back of the thing. It was like riding a bucking bronco but she held on. She pulled the thing she wanted out of her pouch and held it ready to stab it in. It was hard though since it was trying to get her off. Still she gripped the fur with one hand as she was dragged around and with the momentum she was able to fling her body against the body of the creature and jab it in.

It was not very long before it started to slow and list from the effects. She let go when it bumped against a rock and flew away. She was back on her feet just as he collapsed. She gave a slight toss of her head as in a job well done. That was when the werewolf made his move and tried to plunge his knife in. She jumped in between and said, “Stay back.”

The werewolf managed to speak which surprised both Sam and Dean now that Dean found the last syringe, “You would defend a mad one, Vampire?”

Angela glared slightly, still showing her teeth. She held out her hand and Dean tossed her the syringe. She defiantly walked over to the downed creature and felt along the best place to administer the serum. She injected it saying, “Yes I would.”

The werewolf glared at her. It was a natural enemy thing. “You may have him.” He turned to leave. He paused as an afterthought and added, “Thank you for your compassion towards me.”

Sam managed to interject, “And you’re not even going to apologize for what you did to that kid out there?”

“One cannot apologize enough for what is done in madness. Now it cannot be undone.”

It was a bullshit answer and Angela knew that. The werewolf probably was the lone wolf type and was grateful for help but he cared only about number one. Plenty of humans were like that as well and people had the nerve to call her a coward when she didn’t rise to taunting or baiting so easily. She replied, “Bullshit.” It was the only thing she could think of in English since everything else was a mixture of languages and some words not even known.

The werewolf looked back at her and said, “You should know Vampire. You can’t undo what you are once it’s happened. The only thing to do is keep moving forward. That is the way things are in this world.” He looked at the Winchesters and back at her. “I will go and not bother you further. Good luck in finding the boy.” He then disappeared.

“Well that was a night well spent,” Dean retorted. He looked at his brother who winced slightly under the scratches to his arm. “You okay Sammy?”

“Yeah I’m fine Dean?”

“You Angie?”

“Never better though I suggest playing tackle football when it’s in season,” Angela muttered dryly and gave one last glance towards the direction the werewolf left in. She then turned to look at the huge pile of fur. He probably had a double dose of tranquilizers in him so he wouldn’t wake up for a while.

Dean walked over to take a look. He was ready to shoot it if she gave the word. “What do you want to do with it Angie? You want me to shoot him?”

“No need Dean. Besides if you did that I would have to explain to Lycan why a hunter he respects so much shot and killed his son.”

****

It was late but Nikki didn’t want to go to sleep. He was looking at the full moon through his bedroom window and wondering if the angel lady was able to find and help his brother. He couldn’t explain why to his mother but he had a good feeling about her. Now he wanted to be awake for when his brother did come home. His mom had told him to go to bed hours ago but he just couldn’t sleep.

The moon was big and bright tonight. He had never seen a moon like it before. Then again he always was asleep when the moon was out at its peak. To see it for the first time, it was like magic or something and not like the stupid tricks the magicians did. It lit up the ground so he could actually see the buildings of the farm. It was so pretty…

The next thing Nikki knew, he found himself waking up. He had briefly fallen asleep and he jerked awake and looked around. He heard something and it was coming from outside. Frowning and rubbing his eyes, he leaned over to look out the window. It was dark but the moon was still bright so he could see something and it looked like it was coming through the forest. He peered out the window trying to make out what it was.

The shadow stumbled out of the forest and Nikki’s eyes widened in recognition. It was Nate! His big brother was okay. The angel lady did it! He smiled big as he scrambled out of his bed nearly falling out of it in his excitement. He was smart enough to put on his shoes and grab a jacket as he ran out of his room. For a moment he was tempted to wake up his mother but the desire to see his brother greatly outweighed that so he rushed down the stairs and towards the door.

At first he thought he lost his brother when he got to the porch. Nikki could see no sign of his brother and wondered if he was playing a game with him. Pulling his flashlight out of his jacket pocket, Nikki began to walk around the place. He knew where everything was so he wasn’t worried about getting scared or lost. The thing was everything looked a lot different in the dark and he had to remind himself what each thing was.

When he couldn’t find any sign of his brother near the house, he started venturing towards the forest. He shone his light everywhere. He knew he saw Nate out here. Where was he? There was a rustle and he jumped a bit and flashed his light around. “Nate?”

There was some rustling and Nikki felt his breath hitch. He moved his hand in a steadying motion. _I can do this. I’m not scared._ He paused and got control of his breathing. Nate had always said that he didn’t have to be afraid as long as he knew that there was nothing to be afraid about. Sure Nate did scare him a couple of times but that was different. Nate always said he was sorry and would ruffle his hair affectionately.

When Nate started doing his school thing, the good times didn’t end. Rather they continued and Nikki even got to meet Nate’s friend from the high school where he was taking his challenge course. Nikki felt like he was grown up then since he was hanging out with the cooler big kids. Nate’s friend Roman always invited him along and seemed to like him there. That was the memory that he held onto as he looked around trying not to be afraid.

Something went by his left. Nikki turned to look and caught a glimpse of a shadow. It was probably stupid but he had to know. “Nate?” He started walking in the direction where he saw the shadow. He repeated his brother’s name, “Nate?”

Nikki continues to wander in the direction he was going. He realized that he was going into the forest and that he probably shouldn’t go another step. He was about to turn around when he saw the familiar silhouette of his brother. He started walking fast, “Nate?”

He ran up to his brother and gave him a big hug. He couldn’t believe it. He found his brother Nate. He started babbling, “Nate! She did it. The angel lady did it! I knew she would find you. Where is she?”

When his brother failed to respond, Nikki looked up. He couldn’t see his brother’s face since it was in shadows. He could feel his brother tense up though. Then there was a rough sound that was almost a growl, “Run Nikki. Get away.”

Nikki backed up slowly. Even though his brother’s voice sounded rough, there was no mistaken the genuine urgency in his voice and he knew that his brother meant business. He trusted his big brother and started backing up and putting some distance between him and his brother. When he heard his brother repeat his command, he turned to obey and started to run.

He didn’t get very far for he felt face forward on the ground and dropped his light. He then felt himself being dragged along the ground back towards his brother. He then heard, “Uh-uh you’re not going anywhere little one.”

Nikki managed to twist around to see a man come out. He was standing off to the side and he was pulling him towards him. “Nate!”

“Leave him alone!”

The strange man started laughing and it sounded like growls. “I can do what I want boy.”

Nikki watched with wide eyes as his brother sprang forward and tried to jump onto the strange guy. His brother was thrown back and onto the ground where he was pinned. “Nate!”

The man said, “I underestimated your capabilities when I turned you boy. You broke your restraints and interfered with the plan that I had.”

Nikki looked at his brother as he struggled to get free. The strange man wasn’t paying attention to him. Maybe he could get away and let his mother know what happened to Nate. Cautiously he moved his limbs and found that the demon wasn’t paying attention to him. He could get away. Slowly he moved while keeping an eye on the man. When he thought that he was not looking, Nikki got to his feet and started to run. He slipped a little getting up but he was still moving and running.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Once again Nikki found himself being picked up. This time he wasn’t dragged along the ground. He swung his limbs trying to figure out what was going on. He found that he was suspended in midair and the man was walking towards him.

“Leave my brother alone!”

“You are lucky you can talk. Beasts normally don’t have that ability,” the man replied. “My power is all that is preventing you from giving into your urges.” He tied up Nate’s limbs to keep him from doing anything and then turned to look at the younger one.

It was dark but Nikki could see the man’s face clearly. As soon as he did, his eyes went wide with fright and then anger. “You killed Dad!”

The man smiled an evil grin. Oh this was so much fun. What turned out to be a near disaster turned out to be a gift. He ended up with three hunters and one of them was pretty valuable. He never expected to meet a hunter that was also a Halfling; half vampire to be precise. Then again it should be expected since it was an age old rivalry between the two main species. He replied, “It was this body little one but not me.”

“It was so you. I know what I saw!” Nikki glared at the man as he tugged his brother towards him. Nikki swung his limbs trying to do anything to get free.

The man laughed, “Are you sure you saw what it is you think you saw?”

Nikki retorted, “It was you. The angel lady is going to come after you. She will… she will kick your ass.”

The man continued to smile and he chuckled. This little one had no idea what the mean old world held. He taunted the boy, “Angel lady? My dear little boy, you have no idea what you have been talking to. She is not an angel.”

“Yes she is and she is going to kick your ass to the end of the world,” Nikki replied. Normally he didn’t swear since it was discouraged at home. However he was angry and it came out.

The man gave one last chuckle. He closed his eyes briefly and then opened them again. He could almost laugh at the reaction the boy gave. If he had been on the ground, he would have literally jumped back. At least he got a yelp out of the boy. He put his face really close to the boy’s and said, “I do not think so. Not if I can help it little boy.”

Nikki couldn’t help but tremble. He had never seen anything like it. He looked at his brother and then at the man. The angel lady would save them.


	8. Chapter 8

“Are you sure that you’re doing the right thing Angie?”

Angela looked up from her work on Sam’s shoulder. She had been cleaning them out and dressing them. It must have been a miracle that he didn’t require stitches. She replied to Dean’s query, “I’m sure, Dean.”

“Why didn’t you tell us that the kid of that Lycan fellow was here?”

Angela had turned back to cleaning the scratches. It was hard work trying not to notice the muscles of Sam’s shoulders as they moved even though he was holding still. She replied, “Would it have made a difference?”

Dean shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe.”

“Then I should have said something but I owed discretion to Lycan.” Angela finished cleaning the last of the wounds and was applying the bandages.

“Why?” The question came from Sam after he shot a warning glance at Dean. Sometimes Dean took her ways a little too personally. He got it that she had really good reasons for her decisions even if it was the annoying protecting him and Dean from whatever it was thing.

Angela finished what she was doing and put the leftovers back in the bag. “Extenuating circumstances.” She made to stand up when Sam grabbed her gently by the wrist and pulled her back to a sitting position. Her first reaction was that his demeanor changed and was demanding a better answer but that changed when he started cleaning the scratches on her cheek.

Dean was keeping his other thoughts to himself surveying the scene his brother and Angela were making. He then glanced at their prisoner/not prisoner lying unconscious on his bed. He refused to let Angela be alone with him even though he looked like a harmless teenaged boy and she could easily kick his ass. He turned to look back at Angela who looked stiff as a poker while Sam was touching her. He was going to have to do something about that. He replied, “What extenuating circumstances other than being the brat of your friend who could be Sasquatch’s twin?”

Angela tried not to wince at the sting the cleansing solution made as Sam cleaned the scratches. If she had been on her own, she would have ignored them and gone about her business. It was different when you had someone who watched your back for you. It was even more different when that someone was a person you had feelings for. She couldn’t help but close her eyes at the sting of a particularly deep scratch.

“Sorry,” Sam said.

“Just a deep cut,” Angela replied. She glanced at Dean and answered his question, “It’s a matter of what he is and let’s just say that we can relate.”

Dean raised his brow, “And what is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that I am like her. My mother is a vampire.”

Three pairs of eyes turned to the boy who had woken up and looked ridiculously small in the clothes borrowed courtesy of Dean. One pair was pensive in their expression and two were in varying states of suspicion and curiosity. One could hardly blame those looks. It was Dean who asked, “You? Half vamp? Please.”

“It’s true,” Angela confirmed. “Lilah is a vampire and Lycan is related to the werewolf. Remember Lykos?”

“Uncle is a bastard,” Roman said.

Angela couldn’t argue with that and Sam was in agreement with her. They actually made the same head movement that was mingled with a shoulder shrug. It would have been a funny moment for Dean if he had been in the mood and paying attention. He voiced everyone’s opinion, “You got that right kid. Now you mind telling us what the hell you were doing out there?”

There was no chance for Roman to answer for the door bust open and there was Ruby in blazing demon glory. She came charging in with a determined look and in her hand was that knife of hers. She started making a beeline towards Roman with the intent to kill in her eyes.

Angela said nothing but jumped directly in Ruby’s path and put her hand out and Ruby ran into it. “No.”

Ruby rolled her eyes in annoyance, “Move out of the way.” She sidestepped to avoid Angela’s hand. She was surprised that dumbass Dean and Sam weren’t doing anything. Then again they were smart enough to back off from a fight between her and the princess with the pick.

Angela was not going to back down from this. She moved when Ruby did and narrowed her eyes in a warning look. She repeated her earlier statement, “No.”

Ruby glared at Angela. “It has to be done and you know it.” She held up her knife intending to use it on Angela if she had to. It would be a negative in the scheme of things but it had to be done. “It must die.”

“I’m warning you Ruby,” Angela replied, for once using the skank’s name. “You are not to harm the boy.” She grabbed the offending hand with the knife. She pulled Ruby close and said in a low whisper, “I mean it. It will end badly.”

Ruby wrenched her arm from Angela’s grasp. She started for the boy amidst the protests from Angela. She was suddenly thrown violently backwards into the dresser near the window. The only sounds that came forth was laughter and it was coming from the boy but it was not normal.

Angela had managed to dodge the main force of the blow. She stood looking at the boy. His eyes were pitch black and he was laughing still. She said, “Impressive display. Worn out now?”

Roman stopped laughing and looked at Angela. He also took in the two Winchesters and the bitch traitor Ruby on the ground. Reverting his gaze back to Angela he replied, “I’m going to rip your pretty little face off and hang it on the wall.”

“Try it,” Angela replied as she crossed her arms over her chest. Even with the gouges on her cheek, she cut an imposing figure.

Roman grinned and attempted something. Even handcuffed to the bed he could move a little. He managed to break free by pulling the cuffs from the bed, snapping the chains off. He tried to lunge for her but was stopped. Confused he tried again. The floor was carpet. He glared full force at Angela with his black eyes demanding her to explain.

Angela didn’t change her expression. She pulled out a marker and then a small flashlight. She held up the marker and then turned on the light. It was a UV black light and it was pointed towards the ceiling. Above their heads was a devil’s trap and a very good one.

Roman studied the trap. It was a very good one indeed. It wasn’t the quick and dirty versions that he had seen but done to make sure he couldn’t even smoke out on his own. He then looked down and gave a slight smile, “Very clever. How did you guess?”

“I have my ways,” Angela offered. Truth was she had caught the scent of demon but it was faint mingled in with the wet dog smell. She wasn’t sure since scents could cling to individuals after touching them. She would know since she often could smell Crowley on her after he touched her and she would take a long shower and scrub until her skin was raw. “Now you’re going to answer a couple of questions…”

“Oh goody,” Roman replied in a sarcastic tone. “You want the short version? This meat suit was easy once we figured out he was tracking us or rather a teacher from the local high school by the name of Weathers. The fur bags really know how to track each other.”

“There are two of you?” Dean had recovered first from the display that occurred. Secretly he was pleased that Ruby had her ass handed to her and he did doubt the sanity of bringing a demon here but he trusted Angela when she code worded him and Sam her suspicions. He saw that Ruby was standing back since there was a devil’s trap nearby.

“Oops I guess I spilled the beans,” Roman replied. “Oh well. It doesn’t matter. Everything turned out perfect and it took a stupid little boy to make it work.” He began laughing. “Poor Weathers complained but we made him do it and now he is no longer in control.”

Angela listened with a bland expression. So far all she heard was that there were two of these demons and they were messing with the werewolves here and Roman had been investigating. The missing boy was a part of it and it made her blood boil to hear that a child had been used in that fashion. This interrogation didn’t quite reveal the whole story behind lycanthrope madness. “And the virus? What is your purpose with that?”

Roman laughed some more. “That is our baby.” When he saw the look on the two Winchesters’ faces he added, “You looked stunned. Didn’t you know that it was conjured by demons? You hunters need some reason to go after the fur bags. Silver bullets work nice don’t they?” He began laughing again and adjusted his position so it appeared that he was sitting cross legged on the damaged bed.

Angela raised her brow and stared at the possessed Roman. She was no fan of it having been possessed before though the technicality was that she hosted a goddess, a warrior goddess with a personality aligned with her own. Not to mention the one time she did allow a demon to possess her and that was actually painful and she knew why. She held an arm up to stop Ruby who managed to be brave and take a step forward saying, “You should kill it now.”

Roman sneered at Ruby, “Dear Ruby. You really want to kill little ole me? What do you think the big boys downstairs would say to that?”

Angela knew that this could get out of hand if nothing was done. She held back Ruby who replied, “You are a menace. Just because you and your slime of a partner gave us an advantage over the fur bags…”

“Which is why she won’t let you kill me,” Roman replied as he pointed at Angela. “After all the vampire-werewolf feud is a longstanding tradition. It’s bred in the bone.” He gave a suggestive look at Angela.

It had been designed to cast doubt. Sam and Dean knew that she was not like that. There were probably vamps out there that did feel that way but she was not one of them. This guy was making a serious mistake in trying to make them think she was anything but what she was. Both were giving death glares, not at Angela but at him. Neither of them realized that it was the demon’s attempt to get one of them to kill Roman and that would start something that hadn’t been seen in millennia: a blood war. Word would get out that a Halfling with vampire blood had been there and that would cause the chaos. It was a happy coincidence that the victim was half vamp too and that would infuriate the vamps.

Angela was aware that it was a ruse to attack the boy. The purpose she didn’t know but what she did know was that there were two demons and they appeared to be ones responsible for probably numerous diseases that hadn’t been cured like the madness. If that were the case, this demon probably had an idea as to what she used. That was more justification to kill the demon.

Roman was smirking at his audience. He could see the anger building and it was rather a nice thing to see after being sent here to conduct experiments and of course observations. He looked at Angela who was giving a bland expression and said, “Now what about you sweetness? You know you want to just jump in and take my head off. I mean the truth about one’s own kind is often hard to hear.” His tone mocked her.

Angela listened to Roman’s tone of voice. She was pissed but more at the fact that this wasn’t a simple case. This demon and his partner had been meddling in this peaceful town and in the process changed a young boy’s life and all for a sheer experimentation of their… virus. It was easier to just throw a tantrum at that since that was what she felt like doing and she was certain that was what the others wanted to do but it extended to killing the boy. That she couldn’t allow. Better to do this the old fashioned way and make sure that he had eternity to crawl back out of hell. She knew exactly where to send him and she had to thank an old friend for teaching her that specific rite. Still staring at the demon she said, “Ruby, you need to leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Oooo little hell bitch won’t listen to mommy,” Roman taunted.

“Shut your pie hole,” Dean said pointing at the kid.

“Up yours Winchester. I look forward to seeing your ass the next time I visit the pit,” Roman replied. “Yeah word spreads through certain circles about new souls and it’s always easy to spot on that is marked.”

Dean was about to jump at the kid but was held back by Angela. She gave him a look and a slight shake of her head. She gave the same to Sam who was tempted to rush in. The look meant business. She then looked at Ruby and said, “I mean it. You don’t want to be near here when this goes down.”

“I’m not leaving until you do what has to be done.”

Angela raised her brow again as if to wash her hands of everything. Ruby was going to be in for a surprise. She put her hand in her pocket and pulled out something small and clenched it in her hand. She turned to walk towards Roman until she was on the very edge of the trap. She started reciting in Latin the rite and watched as Roman started to convulse from the effect. After the first line she paused and glanced at Ruby.

The demon was looking pale as she finally realized what was going on and that she was in danger. She booked but she wasn’t going to go far. Stepping outside would be enough. That allowed Angela to continue reciting the ritual. Her voice took on the firm and intense tones it did when she did the exorcisms.

It was agonizing for the demon to be wrenched out but Roman made light of it. He laughed and said in mocking tones, “Oh that hurts. You know that I will just crawl back out of my hole.”

Angela had paused and stared at the demon. The next part was tricky but she knew what she was doing. She manipulated the thing in her hand and flipping it like she would do a coin, she tossed it at the demon. As expected he caught it and she quickly finished the incantation.

Roman began to writhe as she finished. He looked at her full on black eyes and said something in a language that he knew neither Sam nor Dean would understand but she would. He laughed and then smoke started pouring out of the boy’s mouth. It was thick and black and it hit the roof where the devil’s trap had been set and it seemed to be absorbed by the thing.

It was over as the boy’s body just flopped right onto the bed. Angela stared at the boy and twisted her head sideways in an inquisitive fashion. Finally she said, “It’s safe. You can come in if you want hell bitch.”

****

It was disconcerting to see someone sit so still like they were a statue. It was increased tenfold when the same person sat staring at the inert form passed out on the bed as if waiting for it to jump up and do the hula. For Dean it was just another quirk that had to be dealt with and was used to. He liked to think it was something done on purpose at times to piss people off… like Ruby.

After the exorcism and Ruby went back to being called a bitch, the skank came back in and asked Angela what the hell she was thinking for using that exorcism and why didn’t she just kill the demon and save everyone a lot of heart ache. Dean would have had a few choice words to say about that. In his mind if a person could be saved then they went for it. That was the end of it and no questions asked.

It was an interesting show as Angela just stood there and stared at Ruby. Dean had seen her in a stare off before and he thought it was with those Chaser douches a while back but this was different. She was giving the look that said she was the boss and if you had a problem with that you can suck ass. His girl just gave a bland stare with those tawny eyes of hers and had her arms crossed like those head nurses from hell when they took you on.

Ruby, the hell bitch, stared back appearing that she wasn’t scared or impressed. Dean knew better though and was aware that he had been smirking slightly. He of course had to direct Sam’s attention to that. Dean could make out the faint quiver in Ruby’s expression as the two women locked eyes. Hell if they wanted to fight, Dean was all for it and the perverty thought of them mud wrestling or in bikinis crossed his mind. He was a bad man for that but hell he loved it when chicks fought.

It was a battle to be reckoned with as Ruby demanded that Angela be reasonable about the whole thing. Angela of course just stared and Dean thought that he detected the slight flicker of her eyes. She didn’t vamp out or anything but right then and there Dean could detect a slight change in Angela’s demeanor. True he had seen her command attention like at that Onigen settlement but this was way different. It was like in Milagro. The authority was in her voice and it was enough to make everyone pause and not even think of doing anything. It reminded Dean of an old biddy of a teacher from one of the schools he went to that he was certain was possessed.

It ended with Ruby saying something in a fool language that he couldn’t understand. He knew Angela understood since she replied in the same language but with a knowing look. Ruby skipped out and they were left with the kid on his bed passed out, who was fine by the way. They had nothing else to do but wait until the kid woke up and Sam’s shoulder needed a break. So it ended up with Angela plopping herself down in a chair near the kid and saying that one of them could use her bed and to not feed people food to Setna.

Dean made the executive decision that Sam get some shut eye first and he would take first watch. It was ridiculous since there was one bed free and he could go to sleep too. It completely escaped him that the free bed belonged to Sam since it was furthest away from the door and that came from years of habit in making Sam furthest away from the door.

Sam of course protested saying that his bed was here while trying not to sound whiney about it. Dean knew Sam had a thing about his stuff and he never missed an opportunity to mess with it. Dean made the compromise on shifts and that placated the bitch face that was starting to form. So now Dean was sitting on Sam’s bed and cleaning the guns for lack of anything else to do. Angela hadn’t moved from her spot and it was tempting to see if she was doing that dolphin thing; sleeping with her eyes open.

Fishing for something to say, Dean let out, “I never heard that kind of exorcism ritual before.”

“It was shown to me by an old friend,” Angela replied. She hadn’t moved but it let Dean know she was alive at least. The scratches were scabbing but still looked intimidating.

“You sent the bastard to hell right?” Dean picked up Angela’s 9mm Beretta she had used and began stripping it to clean it.

“Yep and one place he will have a difficult time getting out of.” Angela gave the faintest of smiles before finally adjusting her position. She began examining her hands as if looking for signs of injury. “He’ll be miserable.”

“Sounds like you know a lot about the place you sent him,” Dean ventured cautiously.

“Only what I have been told. That and from what I read.” Angela looked at Dean and could see he was trying to figure out what to make of it. She said, “Hell is described in several books but the best description comes from a nice piece of literature called _The Divine Comedy_ ; more specifically ‘Dante’s Inferno’.”

“Always figured you to be like College Boy,” Dean replied taking in the fact that a piece of required high school reading was the actual sort of biography on hell. “I don’t want to think which level you sent him to.”

“Best not to.”

Dean sighed a little as he finished stripping the weapon. He made to clean it with the same precision as with the others. He glanced at the kid who was still passed out and asked, “So you’re sure the kid’s okay?”

“He was hit with a tranquilizer dart and the tranquilizers in the serum. He’ll be out of it until probably morning. At least he’s cured,” Angela replied with a slight shrug. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs.

“What about the missing kid?”

Angela pursed her lips before replying, “Still got to find him. Maybe there is a way to fix this all.”

Dean looked at her strangely. True she knew things he didn’t know but even she had to know that there was no cure for being a werewolf. That whole thing with the bloodline was a joke and in the end Sam paid the price emotionally regarding Madison on that one. “I feel bad for the kid brother.”

“It’s still his brother and the kid isn’t infected anymore,” Angela replied as she reverted to staring at Roman. Her thoughts began to form the barest tendrils of an idea. It was one that she knew would be met with total resistance and she knew why. There was a reason for it; there was a reason for the way everything was in the world. Some answers were more elusive than most.

“That’s for sure.” A thought then occurred to Dean and he asked, “Angie, why did you show the fangs? That just seemed to fuel the bastard’s intent on making you look bad.” He studied her as he finished wiping down the gun after putting it back together. He popped in the clip.

“As he said, the vamp-wolf feud has been going on for a long time. We tend to respect each other… at least the ones that aren’t eager to spill the other’s blood.” Angela picked a point on the hideous bedspread the rooms came with and stared at it for some time. “Another thing demons have manipulated long before all this as the stories tell.”

“Yeah and you’re living proof that they can get along. You have one for a friend though I don’t think the Lupei like you that much.”

“Joseph hated me and the Lupei I met were influenced by him. There are not a whole lot.”

Roman actually moved but didn’t wake. Still it was a tensing moment even for Dean. He asked, “You want me to tie him up?”

“No but I will have to make sure that he isn’t possessed again,” Angela replied.

“You got a spare amulet?”

“I’ve got something a little more permanent in mind but only after he wakes up.” She became thoughtful and added, “He can help us finish this and bring home a boy.”

“You’re the boss Angie,” Dean replied with a slight grin. He sobered though when she made that comment. He got the sneaking suspicion that she had an idea smoldering in that brain of hers. What it was had to be related to the notion that there was a werewolf cure. She was getting as bad as Sam.


	9. Chapter 9

Morning couldn’t get here fast enough but it did. Unfortunately the long hours left a lot of time for thinking and not even routine chores could pull the mind away from that. That was the problem when you could do things like it was second nature. For Angela it was the ability to do whatever she happened to pick up and play with. At six in the morning the chore just happened to be sharpening her two knives along with her chakram.

The rhythmic scraping of the whetstone on steel was acting soothing if one knew how to listen to it. Angela knew and found the rhythm and virtually lost herself in it, allowing her to think about the events of the previous night and overall things in general.

First off, she should have just thrown Ruby out the moment the skank showed her face. She had enough with demons even though she had to get rid of one. Second was the situation itself. It wasn’t the politics, the old vamp vs. werewolf deal. That had little to no bearing on anything. She knew about it but she was always called the peacemaker and most wolf species were of the same mindset of making friends rather than enemies. It ultimately showed in the case of Lycan and Lilah. That brought it down to the crux of things.

It was a known description that she was the Ice Queen in reference to her cold and icy demeanor. The fact that she had a soft spot for children even pain in the ass teenagers was a thing often overlooked as well as her generous nature in trying to fix a situation. The Winchesters knew that and Sam never failed to comment on her generosity whether it was offering to pay cost of repairs for a Shelby or arrange a situation so that the victims had some measure of comfort.

The fact that a kid was made into a werewolf for some experimentation as well as being in the wrong place at the wrong time was just… unsettling. Screw that, it pissed her off royally. It was the same with all demons that had the life goal of making life unfair on poor saps who had no clue and didn’t deserve it. The worst was when it involved children. It made her want to rip someone’s head off and preferably a pervert like a child porn pervert or rapist. Of course that would be after she made them suffer for the things they did.

_God I sound like a demon._

That was a sobering thought but it did little to push away the anger and the hurt and… everything. That made two people that didn’t deserve that fate and one chose to die. Angela pursed her lips as her strikes became quicker in rhythm as the memory of that one came to pass. It didn’t have to be that way. The thought of failure passed through and she went faster.

What started as slow and rhythmic became short and clipped when Sam opened his eyes. He frowned slightly as he sat up from the table where he fell asleep at and glanced over to find Dean sound asleep on the bed. He made a face as he stretched. Dean may have made the compromise of shifts but that didn’t last very long; two hours at the most and it was driven by curiosity about the kid Roman and the fact that he was unsure about Angela in terms of how she was doing about the whole thing having barely said two words after Ruby barged in.

The clipped sounds were coming from the side of the room closest to the bathroom and they were becoming more clipped and erratic. Sam turned to see Angela working overtime with her whetstone. He knew how to use the modern sharpeners on the knives he and Dean had but she was old school and he knew enough to know that what she was doing was going to eventually ruin the blade.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you looked at it, the clipped sharpening stopped when Angela slipped and ended up running her finger along the edge. The sharpening stopped and was punctuated by the dull thud of the whetstone and knife hitting the deck. Sam was on his feet the same as Angela as she held her hand and looked at her finger.

The muttering in Italian was enough to tell Sam that it hurt like hell. She was holding her hand and wriggling her finger as if to test the damage done to it. Sam ventured, “You okay?”

“Does that look okay?”

Sam ignored the terseness as he took a good look at the hand stuck in his face. He was just as guilty with that sort of thing and he called Dean names in the process. He grasped her hand in his large ones and gently prodded the wound. It was a slice that went right through the print on her middle finger. It looked like a bad paper cut making Sam suppose that it was lucky she didn’t slice the tip of her finger off.

“What’s the damage?” Angela asked softly in an attempt to apologize.

“Looks like a bad paper cut.” Sam took the opportunity to examine her other fingers just in case she any other cuts that she might have missed.

“Hurts like a bitch though.”

Sam chuckled as he released her hand so she could wash it off with warm water. “They usually do.” He sobered as she rinsed the blood off and dab dried it. “You tired Angie?”

Angela finished what she was doing and held her hand elevated while looking for something to use as a bandage. She blinked as the world grew slightly fuzzy. She had been awake all night watching the three boys in her care sleep like babies. Where did she put that bag?

Sam was quicker and said, “Got it and you might want to put some disinfectant on it.”

Angela tried to stifle a yawn but couldn’t as she growled out, “It’s not that bad.”

“Please,” was the main dish with a side order of puppy dog eyes.

Angela yawned or sighed, it was hard to tell, and sat down in the chair across from Sam and held out her hand. “Don’t think it was because of the look.”

“Never crossed my mind,” Sam replied with a slight grin as he dabbed a bit of her disinfectant on the cut. There was nothing to it as he dabbed it on and put on a clean bandage. It would be an interesting sight if she wanted to flip someone off. “Where was the fire? You were making havoc on your knife?”

Angela watched Sam work and when he was finished she inspected his handiwork. It was pretty good. She wiggled her fingers to make sure she had some mobility. The finger was nothing and probably looked a sight better than her face. She could still feel the cuts by the tightness of the healing skin. Seeing that Sam was waiting for an answer, she replied, “Just pissed. Poor saps get brought into this crap all the time and most don’t deserve it.” She stretched trying to exercise out her muscles.

“I’ll agree with you on that.” Sam had a pretty good idea that she was thinking about the missing kid. He wasn’t an idiot; he could see she had a real soft spot for kids. A couple of times when they made a pit stop, she would buy the cheap candy stuff and hand it out to the herd of kids that would have gathered by then. “You’re thinking about that kid aren’t you?”

Angela made a humming sound in agreement. “It makes me angry,” she finally said. “It makes me angry to the point that I want to rip the perp’s head off or tear their heart out.”

“I don’t blame you,” Sam admitted. Hearing someone who was more often in a gentle disposition say something like that was a bit scary but that was her. It made her just like anyone else with their likes and dislikes. The fact that she could actually do those things was something that you wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of. “Anything we can do about it?”

“Maybe a recommendation for a school,” Angela replied as she leaned back. She was ready for shut eye. “First though we have to take care of the second hell bitch. Then we’ll worry about the other thing.”

“What about… you know?” Sam motioned towards the kid on the busted bed.

“Lycan asked me to find him. I found him. Maybe he might know where the other demon is and it could make things easier. I guess there is one benefit to possession. Not that it is ever a good thing.”

At that moment there was a noise and the kid Roman started to stir. Finally the kid was awake and the tiredness that had been evident in Angela’s face all but disappeared as her focus became sharpened. Seeing that the bag was on the table where she had left it, she fished out a packet of herbs (Sam wasn’t sure he wanted to know). She made short work of mixing it into a glass of water and had it ready when she stood over the kid.

Roman for his part thought he was waking from a strange dream. After seeing that black smoke, everything seemed surreal but real too. Then there was that fierce anger and urge to just rip things apart. That he had no clue and it became crowded in his head. His voice and two others vying for attention and control and now the two strangers were gone. He had to know where he was and if he did anything he would regret.

The first thing that he noticed was a shining light. It was actually a star and it was bright. The girlish thought of it being pretty came to mind as he stared blearily at it. He heard a slightly distorted voice telling him to drink and that it would help. He did as he was told and found that his vision was starting to clear. The grogginess was also clearing and the star became a necklace that was hanging on the neck of a beautiful woman with a rather nasty set of scratches on his face. Did he do that? He couldn’t help but stare wide eyed at her.

Sam could describe the kid as looking like someone had hit him over the head with a blunt object. He also recognized the look that he saw teenaged boys get around Playboy girls in the skin mags Dean indulged in from time to time. He could lighten up since it was a stupid kid thing and probably a puberty thing and he wasn’t stupid since he knew that Angela was attractive. He couldn’t help but raise his brow and a snicker threatened when the kid asked, “Are you an angel?”

 _What is it with people thinking I’m an angel? They must be seriously conked in the head or something._ Angela voiced none of those thoughts as she replied, “Another cheesy line for my collection.”

Roman frowned as his vision cleared more and he made to sit up. He had a slight headache and groaned. “Seemed like a good idea at the time,” he said as he rubbed his head. “So for another clichéd question: where the hell am I?”

Angela felt like laughing for the reason that the cheesy and clichéd questions were being asked. She knew she had read one too many books. Her lips twitched in a slight grin and she replied, “You’re still in Kansas, Dorothy. You just had a bit of time in Oz.” She handed him an aspirin and a glass of water.

“No shit,” Roman replied. “I thought no one would get that assphat out much less stick me with the cure.” He swallowed the pill and downed it with water.

“So you know about it?”

“No duh. Father made sure I knew that it existed,” Roman replied. He slowly took in the scene. There was a man fast asleep on the bed next to him, a huge giant standing protectively behind the tall woman who looked like she had been in a chick fight given the scratches on her face but was smiling at him in a bemused fashion. “Did Father send you?”

Angela continued to give her bemused expression. She marveled at the likeness of the boy to his father. She made a slight hum and replied, “An old friend asked for a favor from a friend.”

It then clicked in Roman’s head. “You’re the one then. Father said that his friend, the warrior princess was the person to go to when in trouble.”

Angela felt her lip twitch at the mention of being called the warrior princess. Well she couldn’t blame Lycan. He knew she kept correcting people when they called her Absolution or she would give it up in a resigned way. This was probably better… just a little. “So you have heard of me?”

“I was trying to find out what was going on like the order said to but I was going to try and find you and ask for help. Then this happened.” Roman moved his arm in a sweeping gesture. He felt less groggy now and was ready to get moving. “You were the one that stuck me weren’t you? And you got rid of the demon?” He felt a bit in awe to be saved from the madness of the virus and a demon by the great warrior princess.

Angela gave a nod. “I admit I wasn’t expecting you to interfere but when your Father said he hadn’t heard from you in some time, I began to get suspicious.” She wasn’t going to reveal that she had a vision of the whole thing. That was something private between her and the boys.

At that moment Dean decided to wake up which was surprising since it was about five minutes past seven. He looked around and rubbed his eyes with a hand and sat up. “So what I miss?”

Angela just laughed while Sam made a face. Roman just stared at the man who had woken up. It certainly was an interesting morning.

****

“Wow, the kid eats more than you do on a good day.”

“Dean.”

“What? I’m just glad that I’m not the only one that appreciates good food.”

Sam gave a slight eye roll at that. Angela merely hummed as she consumed her third cup of coffee and toyed with her yogurt parfait. She gave an amused look at Roman that told him to ignore it and she didn’t mind the dig at her eating habits. She then said, “As long as you have your road food you’re a happy camper. What else is new?” She gave a slight wink at Roman.

“You know how to kill the mood Angie. You need a nap,” Dean retorted as he finished his coffee. He grinned to show he wasn’t put out by it. He turned towards Roman and addressed the kid, “So the demons were looking to experiment on werewolves that were minding their own business here. What did they want?”

“They knew that the Ruby Valley was relatively quiet. It is considered a haven,” Roman explained. He was liking every minute with the warrior princess and her friends. “It’s a free haven, probably one of last few that remain.”

“One of the last?”

“Meaning that it is natural one; no wards or anything else that is protecting it,” Angela explained as she took a bite of the fruit in her parfait. “No one knows why they have so much appeal. Most demons and those with evil intentions tend to stay away.”

“Then why…?”

“Havens are a breeding ground for things of the supernatural,” Roman replied to Dean’s query. “When you have different kinds of beings especially ones with known rivalries… it is rather tempting.”

Dean could go with that. “That explains things except for the missing kid.”

Roman lowered his head. He didn’t mean for that to happen. “Excuse me.” He got up and left.

Angela could understand. She motioned for the boys to stay put and got up even though she still had faint hunger pangs. Curses on her abnormal appetite. She followed Roman out of the diner of choice to where he had a good view of the forest. She sidled up to him with her hands behind her back. She didn’t look at him but instead looked at the forest. “Being possessed is a bitch. You really aren’t to blame but because it is your body being used, you can’t help but feel that it is your fault.”

Roman didn’t look at Angela but he listened to her words. It was like she was echoing his own thoughts and that could only come from personal experience. “You’ve… been possessed?”

Angela nodded while looking at the forest still. “A few times. Only one was a demon and that was by choice.”

“You chose to let a demon in?”

“A gambit that turned out to be a mistake,” Angela replied. She could see out of the corner of her eye that Roman had turned when she revealed her experience. “It was painful and there was a reason for that.”

“I thought when they take over, they…”

“I’m considered a special case,” Angela replied. “Let’s just say that the gambit in order to gain access to a nest proved successful but never again.” _That is unless there no other choice._

Roman looked back at the forest and thought for a moment. She chose to be possessed but she didn’t like it. He was forced and he saw what the other demon did to the boy when he tried to resist. Well he had tried to resist the madness that they infected him with. He still couldn’t’ figure out how they knew about him. He watched the other grab the boy Nate and bite him and turned him. It was not right for that.

She also said that she had been possessed once by a demon. What other being could possess a body. Roman asked, “And the other times?”

“Twice by a god.”

“What?”

“A god can possess if they choose and it depends on the realm they occupy,” Angela explained. “Again it was by choice.”

“How could you choose that?”

Angela shrugged her shoulders, “I had to. At the time there was little choice in the matter.”

“It sounds… I don’t know…” Roman had no idea what to say about it.

“There is a benefit to it. You find out things that would have been near impossible to find out.” Angela changed the subject. She figured that if they were going to find the missing kid, they needed whatever Roman remembered. It seemed cruel to play upon shared experiences especially since it was so soon after she exorcised the demon. Yet with another demon on the loose, she wasn’t going to risk the welfare of the missing kid and she couldn’t get the image of Nikki begging her to find his brother. “I found the nest of demons we had been looking for and we got rid of them.”

Roman knew what she was asking. He knew and he felt strangely grateful that she didn’t directly ask. She was different from other people who asked their questions for information. She was nicer about it. “I know where the other demon is.”

“It would help.”

Roman shook his head. “Most people would consider it cruel for you to be asking me this soon. Even the human way of asking on a missing persons or other crimes is cruel. It is cold when they say that there is a certain window of time before the trail goes cold and it gets more difficult to get promising leads.”

“I agree with you but I also agree with that line of reasoning.” Angela looked at the boy. “Yet the boy has a narrow window of time before the demon gets it into his head that he is no longer infected or worse uses him as bait for others to turn.” She studied Roman to see what he was going to do. She could see the debate in his eyes.

“Still it is cruel,” Roman replied. “I know but I don’t want to go back. I saw horrible things. They had been working on nearly a pack size of werewolves.”

 _They probably had been camping out for some time. They took one every so often and since they remain anonymous…_ Angela put the pieces together. It had been a long time operation going on here. They had depended upon the fact that nothing ever happened in the valley which was why they went unnoticed. Something must have changed like the pattern in the kidnapping of the werewolves. Maybe it had to do with the outbreak of the virus.

“I’m not asking you to go back. I wouldn’t do that to you,” Angela replied. “I would have you return to where your place was here until the job was done.”

Roman bristled a little at that. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

“Then you can come but the choice is yours.”

“I don’t want to be possessed again.”

“There is a way to deal with that.”

“Yeah right.”

Angela chuckled at the disbelieving stance Roman had taken. Teenagers were always the same no matter what time period. Maybe the manners differed but the attitude and the temperament was the same. She had much more fun when her boys were teenagers though. “There is a way to prevent possession.”

“What is that?”

“Tell me where to find the demons and I can make it so that you will never be possessed by another demon ever.” Angela looked Roman in the eye and gave a slight smile. She remembered the last time she bargained with a teenager. What the hell was she thinking? She did this constantly with her boys though it was mostly Dean. She dangled her tantalizing morsel in front of Roman and waited for him to bite.

“Are you trying to bribe me?”

“Call it a trade; the location for protection,” Angela replied with a bemused expression.

Roman studied her face. His father had told him that she was clever with words. He was smart enough to realize that he was getting a dose of that. “Are you serious about the anti-possession?”

Angela altered her face to a gentle look with a slight smile, “I never lie about anything like that. I can help.”

Roman debated for a moment. His father had said the same thing about her. He said that she was honest in everything that she dealt with. Deception and misleading she used as a general would in battle. If she gave her word, she never went back on it. He could accept that. “Alright. I will tell you where to go.”

Angela smiled and held out her hand. “We have an accord then.”

Roman reached out with his hand and found his wrist taken in a firm grasp. That was one other thing his father told him about her. She was a warrior through and through. She used their mannerisms and was well respected for it. He smiled back as he clasped his fingers around her wrist in an equally firm grip. “We have an accord.”

“Good.” Angela released Roman’s wrist.

Roman took a breath and said, “There is a sort of old well that goes into an underground cave. I think a river used to run there. It is directly north of the formation. You can tell by the stench.”

“Tell me about it,” Angela replied with a slight eye roll. She tapped the side of her nose and added, “Seems another thing we have in common. Now I will keep my word.”

They started back towards the diner when they were stopped. Angela recognized Nikki’s mother. She was distraught when she came up but very coherent. She didn’t have to ask anything. All the boy’s mother said was, “He’s gone. Nikki is gone.”


	10. Chapter 10

Angela stared out the window of the kitchen while Sam and Dean asked Marjorie, the boy’s mother, questions about what happened. After convincing Roman to remember his time under the demon’s possession, Marjorie came up to her. It startled her at first since she had only met the woman once and it really hadn’t been a pleasant time. Now she was in front of her telling her that little Nikki was gone.

It took a few minutes to process but it was automatic as Angela asked the questions. Of course she had to ask the question of how Marjorie knew her son was taken and how did she know that he hadn’t decided to wander off. They were those questions that could sound offensive but often times were necessary since sometimes things weren’t always what they seemed.

By that time Sam and Dean had wondered where they were and wandered out of the diner just as Marjorie was insisting that she be the one to find Nikki. Angela felt like an ass for asking the next question but it just popped out. She asked, “What makes you think that me and my friends can do anything about it?”

“I honestly have no idea but Nikki seemed to think that you could do anything. I don’t believe in angels but I believe my son. He seems to know people,” Marjorie admitted.

Angela listened to the answer and thought about it. She honestly wasn’t trying to be mean by asking the question but it seemed like this once she wanted to know what it was about her that people seemed to think that she could fix anything. That was an interesting response but she had doubts. There was hardly anything redeeming about her to warrant that. However even if the answer was I don’t trust you but you seem to get results anyway or I just plain hate you, she would have given the answer that she had given, “I will find him.”

Now they were at the farmhouse and Marjorie was reiterating for Sam and Dean’s benefit. Angela was staring out at the forest coming up with some idea and toying with one that had been plaguing her since she let it come out from her vault of memories.

“He won’t hurt the younger one. He’ll use it as bait for you,” Roman whispered low so that he wouldn’t be heard. “They knew hunters had come and when they saw it was you…” He trailed off hoping that she would know what he was implying. He found it to be dirty himself since he liked Nikki and the kid was pretty smart like his brother.

“I get the picture,” Angela replied in equally low tones. She knew Roman would be able to hear them since he had exceptionally good hearing. “Do you think you can pick up a trail?” She wasn’t trying to be insulting.

“Got a nose like you,” Roman replied. “I would recognize Nikki’s scent if you threw me into a dirty alleyway.”

“So I take it that you want to come along?”

“It’s Nikki.”

Angela gave a nod. She only agreed because of Nikki and she had seen too many times parents who had been bereft of their children. It was also a sad fact at the statistics of missing children annually. Inwardly she sighed. Her fondness for kids was going to be the death of her eventually. “I agree.” She paused a moment and then asked, “Are you familiar with the wolfsbane cure?”

Roman frowned as he searched his memory. When it dawned on him what it was, his eyes widened slightly and he almost hissed, “You’re actually thinking of that?”

“Job won’t be finished until things are made right.”

“But where are you going to get a willing participant? Father said there was a reason why no one bothers with it.”

Angela would have said something but she sensed that the table conversation was finished. She turned and said to Marjorie, “We’ll find both of them. We do have a lead. Can you tell me about an underground cave system north of here?”

“You must mean the underground river system. Yes that is north of here. There was actually a well that was built and people lowered buckets into the river for water. It is pretty much dried up now unless there is a major storm,” Marjorie explained. She frowned and asked, “Is that where you think they are?”

“It looks promising,” Angela replied. It had been easy to skirt around the supernatural element. It was easier to believe that it could be a hermit or something that was crazy and he took them. Besides Marjorie seemed to be under that impression so there was no reason to change it now. “We need to go back to town and drop this one off and get a few things and we’ll start.” Angela stepped forward to look at Marjorie in the eye. It was tempting to reach out and touch the woman’s shoulder in reassurance but she didn’t. Instead she said, “We’ll find your boys. I promise.”

Nothing more was said about that and Marjorie allowed them to leave. Once they were out of earshot, Sam asked, “Do you think it was wise to make a promise like that?”

“I never say anything like that if I don’t mean it. We have the location and we have the scent. We just need to get the stuff,” Angela replied as she folded herself into the backseat of the Impala and Roman got in next to her.

“Yeah we’re going on a demon hunt,” Dean said in a sarcastic cheery voice. Demons and werewolves had been an interesting mix and that wasn’t even mentioning deadly viruses and a kid who was the result of what that assphat Lykos wanted to do with Angela. Sam explained that to him and he was pissed at that.

“Maybe once we get the kids we could question it about you know…” Sam let loose the suggestion as if he were asking his brother and Angela if they wanted to go to a movie afterwards.

“Sam,” Dean said in warning while Angela said nothing and pretended she didn’t hear anything. This was not the time or the place to think about that project. Right now she had to think about getting the boys back and saving Nate from a fate that he didn’t ask for. She ran a hand through her locks on the way back trying to figure out how to best give this suggestion and not risk having two Winchesters fire their guns at her.

_The things I would do for the sake of a child._

****

“You know that this could be considered criminal right?”

“Yes I do but it will work.”

“Why not just give him one of these?”

“You are getting to be bad as Sam with questions, not that I don’t mind.” Angela gave a slight smile in Sam’s direction to say that she really didn’t mind. She was actually amused at Dean’s turn to be the pest with questions. She looked at Roman who was looking nervous and motioned for him to sit in the chair she had set up.

“Dean, it’s a tattoo. Nothing wrong with that,” Sam replied as he checked to see if they had paint for devil’s traps and plenty of salt and iron rounds. “For centuries body art is considered a cosmetic enhancement and beauty.”

“Says the guy who cried because he got ones magically placed on his arm,” Dean countered.

Roman looked at the brothers and then at Angela as he pulled off his t-shirt and asked, “Are they always like this?”

“Yep.” Angela nodded as she looked into the bowl she was holding. It was a crude thing she was using but it was sophisticated when she gave a few hunters theirs in the days of horse drawn wagons. “They never win.”

“How do you stand it or get anything done?” Roman sat straddling the chair. His back was towards Angela and he rested his arms and head on the back of the chair. He had contacted his father to let him know that he was all right and to explain what was going on. Surprisingly his overprotective father seemed to be comfortable that he was helping and even approved of what the warrior princess was going to do.

“I’m used to it because I am just as bad but better at it,” Angela replied. She studied the boy’s back and decided on the right shoulder. You really could put it just about anywhere as long as it was on there and accurate down to the detail. She just picked the right shoulder since her own was marked in a fashion.

Picking up her ‘needle’ and making sure that it was clean and sterilized, she dipped it in her ink solution. She held it up and looked at Roman as if she were looking into his face and asked, “Are you ready?” She was willing to wait and she would back down if he didn’t want to go through with it. She had badgered the kid enough.

Roman took in a deep breath. When she proposed she tattoo the anti-possession symbol on, he had been nervous about it. He could tell that it was more of a surprise to Sam and Dean that she suggested it. She told them with a straight face that it was permanent and just as effective as their amulets. He was surprised at their acceptance of that and even more so at what she did to get the ‘ink’ and needle ready. It was like they were used to whipping up something on the fly. Knowing that she was waiting he replied, “Do it.” He then placed his head on his arms and prepared for the sting of the needle.

Angela gave a gentle smile as she began applying the ink. It was not regular tattoo parlor ink but more natural. It was specially treated so that it wouldn’t fade with the passage of time. It would still show up like it was brand new every time… much like hers though that was a little different.

It took the better part of an hour to get the whole thing made. She finished and taped on a piece of gauze to protect it. “There. No worries.” She began cleaning up and was surprised that she used up the whole supply she made for the job.

Roman rotated his shoulder and pulled back on his t-shirt. That hadn’t been so bad. He now looked badass. Definitely a chick magnet. “Thanks.”

Angela gave a nod and went back to her room to put her things away. Now there was one thing left to do. She looked at Setna who was lounging on her bed with wide eyes and smiled. She opened up a can of food and fed the beast before going to her duffle and pulling out her ledger that held everything she collected on herbs, potions and even spells/hex bag stuff along with appropriate rituals. She flipped it open to a specific section.

Tucked into the binding was a folded piece of parchment or vellum or whatever. It was yellowed with age but the ink would still be on there. Gotta hand it to iron ball ink. Slowly she took it out and held it in her hands, turning the folded square over and over in her fingers. She thought about the cost to get that and what the cost would be to use it. She remembered how willing she was to use it the last time she crossed paths with someone who didn’t ask for the fate of a werewolf.

_I know you mean well but why would you risk your life for me? You don’t know me. You don’t owe me anything._

At the time she said that it was because it was right and she wanted to give a life back. It was the healer in her talking. Yet she said that it was important that he had some happiness. She knew who the ‘he’ was in that incident. She wanted to do it for him. Did that mean she was in love with him then? Did that mean she was being a selfish bastard then when she said that?

_The world needs someone like you. Sometimes an act of kindness goes a long way._

_Are you an angel in disguise? Will you find my brother?_

Angela stared at the square of parchment with a bland expression and a raised brow. How far was she willing to go for one life? She then thought about Dean and when she first appealed to the council. She was willing to become human again for a request for a hearing and she was even willing to trade it for Dean’s life.

_Don’t you go trading in your superpowers, Angie._

Angela studied the parchment. Some said she was a coward for trying to find the nonviolent solution and even she said it. Ruby taunted her about taking risks and doing what needed to be done. In the end only one thought and a whole lot of emotions made the decision. Slowly she opened the parchment and began to read.

****

Nikki opened his eyes and found himself lying on the dirt but it wasn’t outside in the forest. He ran his hands along the ground and felt rock. He was… he had no idea where he was. He sat up slowly to find that whatever this place was it had little light shining through. He could see that he was in a cave somewhere.

A groan in the distance directed his attention. He recognized that sound. Nate was never one to like to get up early. Sometimes he just wasn’t a morning person. Nikki called out to his brother, “Nate?”

Nate put a hand to his head. It was a bitch whatever happened last night. He had managed to break free from the rope that held him and he followed the bastard into the forest. It was a surprise to see three people out there and he felt the urge to tear into one of them. It had been a blur but he remembered hearing a shot and thought someone shot him but he wasn’t hit.

Then there was that lady. She came and he thought she was… then he got angry and just wanted to tear her to pieces. He tried the sneak attacks he knew and he almost had her. Then there was that really tall guy that appeared. He took a leap and he felt something hit his stomach.

It had been a relief that he was no longer angry but he couldn’t go home the way he was. He couldn’t resist seeing his little brother again though. It also didn’t help that he could smell that bastard. His first instinct was to protect Nikki. Now they were both in this hell hole.

Sitting up in response to his brother’s query he replied, “M’ here Nikki.”

Nikki was happy that his brother was there. “Nate where are we?” He got to his knees and sat on his heels as little kids were wont to do.

Nate wasn’t concerned about that. He crawled over to Nikki and began inspecting him. He had to make sure nothing happened to his little brother. “Are you okay? Did that bastard hurt you?”

Nikki tried brushing off his brother. “I’m fine Nate. What are you doing?”

Nate was relieved not to find anything that would indicate the bastard had done something. He would have never forgiven himself if he had. “Just checking. No one messes with my little brother and gets away with it.”

Nikki could sense that it wasn’t the whole truth. Again Nate was protecting him. “I’m fine.” He then stood up and began to look around. It was then that he noticed the opening above. He could see the sky and the clouds passing over.

Nate checked around to see if there was anything worth using. He saw that he had been tied back up again and it looked like the knot was done even tighter. Great so it looked like they weren’t going to go anywhere anytime soon. He wouldn’t leave without Nikki and the same when for his little brother. He began to prowl along to where he had broken free the first time. Maybe the bastard forgot to clean up.

Meanwhile Nikki was looking around. He had never been here before. Dad and Mom had always told him the farthest he could ever go was to the glen. That was it. He had no idea where this place was and he was a little scared at the prospect of trying to get home. He managed to find the slope that led out and he started forward. He called, “There’s a way out. Come on Nate.”

He didn’t get very far and fell. He saw the rope tied to his ankle and felt the urge to cry. He stifled it though and tried to pick at it. The knots were too tight and he muttered, “Knots are too tight.”

“I know kiddo,” Nate replied. Damn there was nothing around to use. The rocks maybe but it wasn’t a definite sharp edge. “I already tried. You okay?” Nate wandered over to help his brother up.

Nikki took the proffered hand and stood up. He replied, “Yeah. What are we doing here Nate? Why are we here?”

Nate could always count on Nikki to ask the why questions. They drove people crazy but some found it cute and that was because Nikki still had the cute factor working for him. Nate had it too but it was more on the charming young man level especially with the old ladies at church. That was the Thompson boys.

Nate started to answer but was interrupted by the bastard saying, “You are here because I wish to play a little game young one.”

Nate growled at the douche and said, “You leave my brother alone.” To show that he meant it, it grabbed Nikki and shoved him behind him. He glared at the bastard.

The guy merely laughed. “Such an amusing display of protectiveness. I have to admit that the main game turned out better than I thought. Not only have we successfully converted a human into a mad werewolf, we can easily control him once he’s turned. I have you to thank brat.”

“Screw you dirt bag,” Nate retorted.

“Such manners. Well they are always in the last place that you look… like a pair of socks,” the guy replied. He gave a mock sigh and continued, “Well now that the experimentation is done, the bigger game is to be played and such a coincidence that the major players happened to be passing by. Then again that half breed must’ve tipped them off. It wouldn’t surprise me.”

Nate had no idea who the guy was talking about. He did get the sense that whatever had been done to him was going to be used against people. It vaguely occurred to him that it might be the three that he had seen the night before. If that was the case then they were walking into a trap.

Nikki peeked out from behind his brother. He studied the man that killed his dad. He looked like he hadn’t shaved in days. He looked hairy like an animal. His eyes were no longer black but brown and they were anything but friendly. He peered hard at the features. It then dawned on him who it was. Even with all the hair there was no mistaken… “Mr. Jenkins?”

The guy became distracted from his internal monologue and looked at the boys. The older one was standing in front of the little one still. However it was the little one that asked the question. He grinned and replied, “Mr. Jenkins is no longer up here.” He pointed to his head with a finger.

It probably was a stupid question but Nate couldn’t help but ask, “What did you do to him?”

The cold brown eyes turned on Nate and the answer was, “Oh the pathetic sod couldn’t take hearing the voices in his head. After all the lycanthrope virus does have the peculiar side effect of creating a voice in the head. The victim feels like they are possessed. Some make it and some don’t.” he looked down at his body and added, “Besides it was a shame to waste such a perfectly good meat suit, not to mention the interesting aspect of it.”

“Disgusting,” Nate replied.

“Not really unless you want to see the true face of a hell bitch. Anyway thanks for the name little one. Now I have the means of being polite when my guests arrive.”

“You think that you’re going to lure them here because of us?” Nate made the demand as he pushed Nikki further back while taking a step forward. “Then you’re nothing but a coward.”

The next thing Nate new, he was soaring through the air and he collided with the wall of the well. It hurt but that was nothing compared to the fact that once again he couldn’t move. He had no idea who this bastard was but he was getting severely annoyed by the whole thing.

Jenkins, now that he had a name advanced towards Nate. He glanced at the little one who looked like he wanted to charge at him for going after his brother. He held up a warning finger. It worked and the little one hung back. That was only after the older one said that it was okay and to stay back. Jenkins looked at the older one. He had been a problem since he caught him. Well he and his partner. Now it was just him.

He felt the exorcism. He and his partner were joined at the hip and they could sense each other like the pathetic fleshy twins that dotted this world. He knew that his partner had been sent back to hell and by someone who was pretty powerful. Well he figured it was the three that came to the forest that night. Well they would pay for that as well as their interference. What stuck in his mind though was the woman.

She was something else. She stared at him when he turned to walk away after she captured his partner. Well the sap whose body that was had fought off his partner and had come to get him. She had this look that was piercing and it irritated him. He looked at the older one and said, “They will come for you. It is in their nature and it is what they are.”

“The angel lady will come. She will get you,” Nikki sudden burst out.

Jenkins wheeled to look at Nikki while Nate hissed at his brother to shut up and not say another word. He advanced towards the boy and was amused when he stepped backwards. He kept it up until the boy’s little back was against the wall. He then kneeled until he was eye level with him. “That’s the third time you mentioned an angel lady. Such strong faith in a complete stranger. I am curious. Perhaps this game can be made more interesting.”

“Leave him alone,” Nate said from his spot suspended on the wall.

Jenkins shot a look and flickered his eyes black. “I will do what I please. Remember that you are not like the normal kind and I can make you do what I want.” He turned and undid the rope around Nikki’s ankle. Putting a hand on the boy’s shoulder he said, “Now little one, we are going to go somewhere and you are going to tell me about your angel lady.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Nikki kicked Jenkins in the leg and tried to run.

He was grabbed from behind by his jacket and jerked backwards. “Naughty, naughty but the fire and desire to escape is so much fun.” Jenkins chuckled amused even though the little bastard had kicked him. He got a good grip on Nikki’s shoulder and held onto it tight, “Now you are going to tell me or I will do something to your big brother.”

“Don’t Nikki.”

Nikki didn’t want to hurt his big brother. “You promise you won’t hurt him or me if I tell?”

Jenkins’ knew he could lie but this time he would keep his word. “You have a deal kid.”

Nikki looked at his brother who had been dropped to the ground. He was sorry about this but he didn’t want the mean man to hurt Nate anymore. “Okay.” He allowed himself to be led out of the well and down the tunnel.


	11. Chapter 11

Dean thought the day was going by suspiciously. Yeah he could buy the excuse that Roman’s new tattoo needed to heal a bit so that it wouldn’t become infected on the hunt but hell they could head out now and deal with this. He didn’t understand why they had to wait until nightfall to actually hunt the thing. Did Angela really want to tangle with the teenaged werewolf again? Was it some misplaced sense of payback for her face?

Even Dean could admit that was petty even for her. True he had done a couple of things to her that he would deserve that kind of treatment but she didn’t do that. That just wasn’t her. He glanced at Sam who was reading something on his laptop; probably more info on werewolves. _Kid is such a geek but why doesn’t he ask?_

There was a knock on the door and Dean went to answer it. He found Roman standing there with a bag of stuff. “Did you get it?”

Roman gave a slight eye roll. “Yeah. One slice of pie… well a peach cobbler so you’d need to nuke it.” He honestly couldn’t understand the man’s obsession with a pastry. He had nearly growled at his brother for forgetting it when they split up to grab supplies. “I grabbed you a sandwich Sam,” he offered to the giant hunched over the laptop.

“Thanks,” Sam replied not feeling hungry at all but he wasn’t about to hurt the kid’s feelings. He was just distracted by wayward thoughts and suspicions. He was thinking more of the surprised look that Roman gave Angela when they were Marjorie’s kitchen.

It could be just something she said to shock the kid since she knew things that gave that same effect to him and Dean. Yet Sam was suspicious about it and he could tell that Dean was too. It became more apparent when she suggested that they go for it at nightfall. His first thought was an undiagnosed injury that was catching up to her but a general query produced nothing like that so it was something else and Sam felt the distinct pangs of hurt that she felt the need to keep something from them.

When Roman left to hang outside, Sam asked, “You think something is going on Dean?”

“As sure as my baby can out run a Prius,” Dean replied. “Whatever it is, must be something that she’s cooking.”

“Yeah and more likely something that could get her killed.”

“I know Sam.” Dean paced around the room. “She did get quiet though listening to Marjorie talk about the kid.” A thought occurred to him. “Sam if the demon has the kids, I think Angie is coming up with an idea to get them out.”

“By what using the kid Nate’s werewolf trick as a distraction? It’s the last night of the full moon and that’s a dangerous game to be playing with Dean,” Sam pointed out. “She may take risks but they are calculated ones. She wouldn’t put anything through unnecessary risk. Especially kids.”

“It’s a thought Sam. Better than the one I thought about her going after the kid for scratching her face.”

“She’s not petty.”

“No shit Sherlock. It was a thought and a stupid one but I am betting that it has to do with the kids. Besides she’s good at that slinking through the shadows thing. Kind of like Catwoman or something.” He grinned at the thought.

“Dude, you’re confusing porn with reality again and stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“Talking about her like that. It’s…”

“Aww is Sammy’s ears getting too delicate?”

“Shut up jerk.” Sam threw his best bitch face at Dean. He could even feel his ears burn with embarrassment. He never liked it when Dean made his porno references about her. It was demeaning to her. “And stop talking about her like that.”

Dean grew amused at the sudden backbone Sam developed. Kid didn’t see his attraction to her but she had him ensnared. “Or what? You’re going take me out?”

“Quit it Dean,” Sam replied as she turned his attention back to the laptop. Looking at anything else would keep him from wanting to throw a punch.

Dean gave a slight smirk. “Fine… chicken boy.”

Sam twisted his mouth in a grimace. He replied in a careful sing song, “Shut up Dean.” He felt his teeth grind as he said it.

“Chicken boy can’t take a joke when he hears one and how can one not compliment her looks. She’s a looker.” Dean was living up to the nickname Angela gave him. He knew when to call it quits though since he knew Sam’s shoulder was still aching probably. “And she would beat them off with a stick.”

Sam continued to glare at the laptop as if it were the source of his ire. It gradually died out when he realized that Dean had retreated. He hated that he fell for Dean’s goading every time. Trying to get the conversation back on track he said, “So you think she wants to go at night in order to rescue the kids?”

“Cover of darkness Sammy. Though like you said we’d have a teen wolf on our hands. That could be tricky.” Dean dug into the pie that Roman brought and went to look out of the window. He managed to catch a glimpse of Roman coming out of Angela’s room with a bag that he was holding out in front of him like it would explode. That had him suspicious. “Maybe I’ll settle this and ask her.”

“Leave her alone Dean.”

Dean just shook his head. Out of all the times now Sam suddenly decides he doesn’t want to bother her? “Sam, you’re just as curious as I am. Now get your Sasquatch ass over here and come with me to ask her.”

Sam sighed. Dean was forever telling him to leave her alone when something was on her mind. He finally takes his advice and now he wants to break it? Sometimes having a big brother was a pain in the ass. E better go just in case the usual tactless questions came pouring out of Dean’s mouth. He left the sandwich and followed his brother down to her room where they were about to engage in in knocking on her door when it suddenly opened and she stuck her head out.

It was almost comical when she said, “I was wondering when you two would come to pester me.” She opened the door to motion them in. “Come on.”

Sam looked at Dean who was equally surprised. It was like she expected them and for Dean he grew immediately suspicious. His instincts were telling him that whatever it was, it was major and probably something that they weren’t going to like and she wasn’t going to tell them anyway. Well he would see about that if he had to wrestle it out of her. For now he would go along with things since he had learned the hard way the consequences of jumping to conclusions without getting all the facts.

****

_The Presidio was once a fort structure that guarded the bay. The old fort was still there and it was easy to see where the guns stood guard. Now it was a tourist attraction but the memory was etched in the buildings. She could feel it as the taps of her boots echoed in the main square._

_Her contact was waiting where he said he would be. His back was to her and he was overlooking the bay. Caution had her approach slowly so as not to startle him. She was within three feet when he said, “I was hoping that you wouldn’t come.”_

_She looked at him with a puzzled frown. “We had a bargain. I brought the herb you were seeking.”_

_Her contact turned around to look at her. “Are you even aware of what you are asking?”_

_She looked at him in the eye. She had spent the entire time she had been there searching. She had seen the tears of the poor girl who didn’t understand why there were two men pointing guns at her. She also saw the look on his face._

_It was shameful and pathetic that she followed them. It had been made clear that she wasn’t welcome and she agreed if only for the sake of brotherhood. Following them here brought her to this but she had no regrets for it._

_She searched starting with the Siglione letters. Then she found her contact. She looked at him and replied, “I am asking for a means to fix what was once deemed undoable.”_

_Her contact held up the package in one hand. “There is a reason why this has been claimed undoable. The risk outweighs the reward here.”_

_“I understand.”_

_“Do you really and truly understand?”_

_She took a breath. She could understand but that didn’t matter. Sometimes logic and reason had to be overruled simply because the moral right or the heart said otherwise. In this case it was the right thing. “I do and if I have to, I will do it myself.”_

_“You will not find one of the night clan willing to.”_

_“As I said, I will do it myself. It is only right.” She held out the bag of herbs. “It is a fair trade.”_

_The parchment felt stiff in her fingers as they closed around it. She handed over the herbs without protest. Her contact looked at her and said, “I hope that it works out for you. You have a good soul spirit healer. Such is a rare thing in this world.”_

_With that he left the fort. She was left standing there overlooking the bay. She could see the lighted buildings. They looked peaceful like the stars in the sky. It reminded her that there were hundreds and thousands of people like those people and yet she was doing it for one…_

****

Angela finished stirring the mixture in the pot she had acquired when she conjured up the cure for the madness. It was a somber chore. She knew that she was creating suspicion with her insistence that they go for the boys at nightfall. She didn’t really provide an excuse for it and if she had been Dean, she would have barged in and demanded answers. Hell even if she were Sam she would have been knocking on the door.

It had been a hard thing to do to open the parchment that she had tucked away in her ledger but she did open it. She read through the ingredients and what to do. It was more intensive than she had initially thought but she knew she could do it. The hard part was whether or not to tell Sam and Dean what it was and what she had to do.

Angela could admit that she had always disliked lying. She tried not to do it but years of experience taught her to never reveal her entire hand especially when she dealt with the sleaze balls that existed. She always felt that she had lied to the boys when she sidestepped the truth about her knowing their father or just kept silent. In the end that led to their separation and how she acquired this. A good thing? That was up for debate.

Roman had been a big help in getting a few things. She had her pot bubbling and boiling in no time. The last part was the hard part and it had to be done under the light of the Red Moon. Most lore books said that a red moon was a rarity like a blue moon. However she knew that its old time reference was in reference to the full moon. Old time reference called it as such because of the nature of the curse of the werewolf. The other hard part was…

“Interesting smell Absolution.”

Angela looked up and saw Wosret peering over her shoulder and into the pot. She gave a slight smile and reply, “Most concoctions usually are.”

“And yet the smell never lingers on you,” Wosret teased. “Most herbalists and healers have the lingering smell of herbs but you don’t.”

Angela twisted her features into a wry grin. She had heard that cheesy stuff before. “You are such a tease Wosret. That is unless you have developed a unique sense of smell.” She stirred her concoction. “What are you doing here Wosret and how are you able to find me?”

“I could ask the question of the king of the crossroads and a certain thorn in your side named Ruby. I thought your standard was designed to mask your location.” Wosret wandered to look at the individual ingredients that were on the counter in the kitchenette.

“It is,” Angela replied as she took a tentative sniff of her concoction. “But like anything else there are exceptions and some are clever. The go after the boys.”

“And I see that has been working out for you,” Wosret replied with a slight smile. “I’m glad that you found a family. You are too good a person to be without someone.”

Angela couldn’t help but give a slight smile. Celestial beings were not her dish of tea but there were a few that she liked and respected. Wosret she liked because she reminded her of when she was young and just starting out like with her father. She hadn’t been touched by the extreme ugliness that dotted the world. “Is that because of your ability to see into hearts and souls princess?”

Wosret smiled in return. “It’s not hard to see that what is on the outside matches the inside. Yet in this case there seems to be something that troubles you.”

“How did you guess?”

“Perhaps I am drawn to them. Perhaps I wish to be someone you can confide in eventually. Everyone needs someone.”

“I have Setna.” At the sound of his name, Setna looked up form where he was sleeping and gave a slight growl mingles with a meow. He stared at the goddess Wosret but didn’t run and hide.

“Fitting name,” Wosret replied as she studied the black cat. As traditional pets of the pharaohs of Egypt, she had a liking for their nature. The independence was just amusing.

“Sam named him.”

Wosret heard the tone of affection in Angela’s voice. If she had to guess, the girl had finally discovered her feelings and was now in a quandary about them. It seemed that she was dealing with them fairly well but it was like a burden like she was hiding them from the Champion and she wasn’t sure why but wasn’t going to press. She felt she didn’t have Angela’s complete trust in that yet. Instead she made polite conversation, “That I find surprising… much as I find that you are concocting Siglione’s cure for lycanthropes. Are you really going to go through with it?”

Angela turned the flame down. It was ready. The last part was the part that required the most difficult of all. “Yes.”

“You do know what that entails?”

“Everyone’s been asking that same question. I do know and it is my choice.”

“But what about them? You told me that you kept returning back to the world of the living because you couldn’t leave them alone. I am curious. Did that change?”

Angela paused. She did say that and it was true. She couldn’t leave her boys alone. Yet if she were honest with herself when she was near dead at Darby, it was Sam that called her back. “No it didn’t. I am not sure what to say about it. The truth is I was willing to do it for a girl because she made Sam happy. It was and is important to me that he does have some happiness in this life. I am doing this so that a mother doesn’t have to lose her son.”

Wosret was sure that was not all of it. However she could see that Angela’s heart was open towards children and even what humans called the teen years. She had read of the great Siglione and his work and it was easy to see why even he said that cure should not be used. It took not only blood but a special willingness. The young goddess did know though that what Angela was attempting to do was dangerous since it worked with full blood. A Halfling… that was something she didn’t want to think of considering physical consequences. Yet the girl’s mind was made up. “You always did have a big heart. I just hope that you at least give them the courtesy of letting them know what it is.”

“I am. It’s just hard to find the right words. I used to be good at a blunt delivery. I find that I can’t just do that to them.” Angela smiled. She turned to look at the door. She could hear footsteps approaching. “Well it looks like I’ll get my chance.”

“Good luck then Absolution,” Wosret replied.

Angela turned when she heard the familiar fluttering that always seemed to occur when Wosret arrived or left and went to the door. Deciding the best course of action was to be direct, she pulled it open before they could knock and stuck her head out. “I was wondering when you two would come to pester me.” She opened the door to motion them in. “Come on.”

She waited until they were inside before closing the door. She noticed that they were drawn to the smell. That stuff did smell bad and she was sure that it tasted worse. Well some things were like that. “I guess you two are wondering why we don’t take care of this now.”

“That thought crossed both our minds,” Dean replied as he gave an elbow to Sam to pay attention.

Sam for his part didn’t want to actually do this right now. He was willing to trust that Angela had a plan. She trusted him and Dean and followed along even when she appeared unsure. He and his brother could afford to do the same. Still he was dragged into this he might as well try to soften it since she was actually looking like she was guilty of something. “So uh… you have a plan right Angie?”

Angela wanted to smile at Sam’s thoughtfulness. She couldn’t though since this part was going to be a shocker and she was steeling herself for their reaction. She replied, “I sort of do.”

“And this has to do with going out and messing with a kid werewolf? What is the point since there is no cure? Unless that smell is something to drive a demon crazy?” Dean raised his brow while motioning to the cooling concoction.

“It is part of the plan,” Angela allowed. “Either exorcise or kill the demon and save the boys and give the ass smelling stuff to the kid.” _Here we go._ “It’ll give a mother her son back.”

It was Dean that started laughing. He wasn’t sure if he heard this correctly but it sounded so ridiculous. “Come on Angie. Are you saying that one of your sorcerer tricks, the one that smells like shit, is a cure for werewolves? This sounds more like that Edgar Allen Poe crap in New York. Remember that Sam?” Dean couldn’t help but laugh. Angela wasn’t one to go after chasing fairy tales. She was always the voice of reason. She used logic even if it was a long shot.

Sam wasn’t sure if he heard correctly either but he wasn’t laughing. He was watching her. He could tell that she wasn’t joking. She was being serious. Did she really have one? “I don’t think she’s kidding Dean,” he said trying to direct his brother’s attention to her. He knew Dean wouldn’t try to hurt her feelings on purpose but he could see that she was having trouble with this.

“Sam, we’ve been through this before.” Dean looked at his brother firmly. “there is no such thing.”

“There is Dean,” Angela said. She didn’t want them fighting. “There is a cure for lycanthropy but it is not widely known. It’s very, _very_ old.”

“Don’t bullshit Angie.”

“She’s not,” Sam said studying her face.

“Sam’s right. I’m not.” Angela decided that a small history lesson was in the works. It would help in understanding. “When I say old I mean back in the days before the ancient empires and we’re talking a time when probably Atlantis existed. There was one healer named Siglione…”

“That’s the dude you said that he said that Hecate was a bitch right?”

“Dean.”

“Yes. He was greatest healer ever to actually exist during the beginning of the vamp-wolf feud. He was the one that came up with it since there are people who really didn’t ask for it and were forced into it.”

“So why is it not widely known? This would solve a lot of problems.” Dean was curious and suspicious.

Angela gave a slight toss and shoulder shrug. “There is a risk to it. For one it has to be administered during the peak of a night with a full moon and two, you have to get close enough. Most people know that it doesn’t take much to turn someone. Even a scrape from a tooth can do the trick. It isn’t in the blood but the saliva.”

“Okay but that doesn’t explain why people I know and not even Bobby knows about this,” Dean pointed out. He saw that he wasn’t going to get help from Sam. He was being quiet and appeared to be in thought.

“Believe it or not, the simple answer is that it has to do with the natural order,” Angela replied.

Dean scoffed slightly. There was more to it. He was sure of it. She was doing it again; trying to protect them. She was hiding something. “Fine but how is it that you were able to find it?”

“I traded one of my rare herbs for it,” Angela explained. Time to reveal the truth. “When I was in Frisco.”

Sam opened his mouth, “You… when…?”

“Shameless eavesdropping and I knew where to go.” Angela studied them. “I am sorry about Madison.”

Sam and Dean shared a look. It dawned on them that she had watched the whole thing go down. It was Sam that narrowed his eyes at her. “So you’re saying that you had it but you didn’t lift a finger to help? Now you do?”

Angela just stood there. She had that one coming to her now that she told the truth. She found that she would rather have Sam angry at her. She couldn’t help how she felt about him but this could keep the distance. Finally she said, “We weren’t on speaking terms.”

“That hasn’t stopped you before. Or do you like playing games with us like a damn demon?” Sam was angry but more hurt than angry. It just felt better to lash out in anger.

“Sam,” Dean tried to calm his brother down.

“Not now Dean. She could have saved Madi and she chose not to. That’s just… I don’t think I can be here right now.” Sam turned to leave not wanting to say something he really was going to regret. He let the door slam.

Dean started to go after when he was stopped by Angela saying, “Let him go Dean. I would rather have him angry at me. It will be better.”

He watched as she went back to the kitchenette and started filling a large glass vial. All he could see was that she was either admitting defeat or doing everything she could to keep Sam at arm’s length. This wasn’t right. He was glad for the divider as he leaned against it. “We need to talk. Now.”


	12. Chapter 12

“We need to talk. Now.”

“There is nothing else to say Dean. I was there and could have helped but didn’t and Sam was right. Our separation wouldn’t have stopped me at any other time.” Angela held up the flask. She wrinkled her nose as she eyeballed the measurement.

“And I know you Angie. You deliberately left something out and I want to know why,” Dean countered. “Well I sort of know why. You want Sam to think you’re a monster. Are you that afraid of your own feelings?”

“You want the truth? Yes I am,” Angela replied. “It terrifies me that I can’t help it. It was easy to see you boys as friends and partners. You’re more than that Dean. You’re like a brother and Sam…” She trailed off. Her hands had started shaking and she put down the flask. She had enough for one more… just in case. She put her hands on the counter to steady herself.

“So that whole thing about jumping off the cliff and flying bit… was that more bullshit?”

“You don’t understand.”

“No I don’t Angie. You’re deliberately hurting yourself.” Dean watched as Angela rubbed her forehead. She was so like Sam that you had to almost beat a confession out of her. “Why?”

Angela walked out of the kitchenette to pace a little. She was getting a headache from all this. Yeah she was deliberately hurting herself. She told the truth… partially like Wosret said to do and she had one brother mad at her and the other up her ass because he was that observant to know she hadn’t told them everything. She was getting too transparent and that was a serious breach in her defenses.

“Why Angie?”

Not taking it anymore, Angela replied, “Madison asked me not to.” Retreat was not being a coward. Retreat and regroup was the answer. She went into the bathroom and shut the door leaving Dean alone.

Dean knew it wasn’t him but her. He still felt bad that it had come to this. He knew that Angela would have come if she was there. Hearing that Madison asked her not to help had him wondering what it was about the cure that had Madison say no. He was near the kitchenette and he saw a large piece of paper that looked very old. He picked it up and was glad that for once something old was in English and he could read it. He skipped the ingredients and went straight to what were the directions to giving it to the kid. His eyes widened slightly.

Meanwhile Angela was sitting on a towel on the floor of the bathroom. A bit of vanity on her part but she had a thing about dingy motels and their bathrooms if she had to sit on the floor. She held her head in her hands as she leaned against the door. Her hair skirted both sides of her face. The headache was still there but she couldn’t take anything for it. It would interfere.

A knock sounded on the door followed by, “Angie? Um… I read your thing and I see why Madison said no. You were willing to do it to help weren’t you?”

Angela studied the floor for a moment before replying, “I offered and she couldn’t understand why I was offering. What is it with you humans going into shock when a stranger offers help?”

Dean felt ridiculous leaning against the bathroom door but he was willing to go along with it. “Well we’re not the best at accepting something like that but most of the time folks think that payment is expected.”

“I don’t want any.”

“I know that Angie. I think I understand why you are doing this and you didn’t want to say anything.” Dean had been upset when he read it but taking a leaf out of Sam’s book of usual, he started reasoning things out.

“Tell me then because I’m not sure now.”

Dean wasn’t fooled by that answer. She had her reasons and she was sure of them. She wanted to hear them from someone else. That she judged herself so harshly was something he couldn’t understand but by asking him or Sam their thoughts, he thought that she was trying to improve that self-judgment. He thought about it before replying, “It’s not just because it’s a kid’s life at stake and you want to give him back to his mom. You’re doing this because you couldn’t do it before. You want to make it up to Sam.”

Angela listened to Dean and couldn’t help but smile. She always knew he was observant and intelligent. He hid it well under the macho bay boy act. He was right about her reasons. Yet she wanted to something else. “And the risk?”

Dean paused a moment. He hadn’t really wanted to consider that but it was important especially if he was to eventually tell Sam about it once he cooled down. “I’m not sure. I mean I think that I get that whole ‘must pass through the blood of the mortal blood’ thing but Angie… I guess I should try to stop you. It could kill you and I don’t think…”

Dean pushed off from the door. He then said, “Well I should be stopping you but knowing you, it is what you do best. You help people even at risk to yourself. I know you stuck your wrist in the way of that crazy vamp’s teeth to save Sam and I know he would probably…”

The door opened and Angela looked at Dean and said, “I know but then again what vampire would volunteer for this?”

Dean gave a slight smile and replied, “None I know of. But Angie, is it worth it? It could kill you and I know Sam would kick my ass if I let anything happen to you.”

“Even one life is worth it,” Angela replied with a shrug. She walked over to the kitchenette and picked up one of the flasks that she had filled. She held it up as she turned to face Dean. “You know I would do the same for you and fuck the fact that the tendency to sacrifice for each other brings pain crops up.”

Dean made a slight face at that. That was true and he made it clear that she wasn’t to do anything like that for him. He was such a hypocrite though. He would do anything for her and hell he gave the biggest exchange to bring Sam back. “You know you’re just going to do what the Trickster told Sam was going to happen?”

“Yes.”

“And you still want to do it? Why?”

“Maybe I do want to make it up to Sam but ultimately I made a promise Dean. I promised Nikki I would bring his brother home and I promised their mom I’d bring both boys home.” Angela gave a slight shrug as she crossed over to the bed to grab the side bag and stashed it in there. She put the second flask in there. She then turned to look at Dean. “Will you help me deliver on that? Keeping my word is all I have.”

Dean stared at Angela. He wanted to help her, he really did. He also had Sam to think about. “What about Sam? Are you going to tell him?”

“Will it matter? I mean if it works and I live or die, things will go on.”

Dean scowled slightly at that. “You can’t not tell him. Don’t do that and put a wedge between you two.”

“I’m not saying anything,” Angela replied taking in the scowl. Dean was right but if she said anything, then Sam would try to stop her. He would end up asking why she had to do it. “If it works and I’m still standing, then I will explain. You know he’ll try to stop me.”

Dean had to acknowledge that. It was true. Sam would try to stop her. Hell _he_ should be stopping her but he wasn’t. “I won’t lie to him and you shouldn’t either.”

“I don’t think he will be in a talking mood even when we get there.”

“That’s not the point. Did you forget why we separated in the first place?”

Angela pursed her lips before sighing. “I remember. If it will make you feel better, I will try to talk to him but I can’t make any promises.”

“That’s all I ask. All three of us are stubborn asses but…”

“Hey it’s what makes us good at our job.”

Dean couldn’t help but smile at that. “I guess you’re right.” He sighed as he looked around. Everything was ready to go. Now it was time to catch a demon and save a couple of kids. “Let’s get this job over with. I’ll grab Sasquatch and you’ll get the kid?”

Angela nodded as she put the bag over her shoulder. She picked up Absolution and her chakram and petting Setna she left to find Roman. Dean waited a moment and looked at the cat who was staring at him. He asked, “What? Do you think I should have stopped her?” He then rolled his eyes. “And I’m talking to a fricking cat.” He then looked at the cat that was still looking at him. He gave the animal a pat and said, “Well we’re both going to find out if I should or shouldn’t have.” He then left her room to find his brother and grab their gear. They still had light left and they could lay a couple of traps to give the advantage and the big plus was that snare net that they set up before.

As he went to his and Sam’s room, Dean hoped that this idea worked. He wondered why he just didn’t put his foot down and say no and demand she tell Sam. It was strange but he got the feeling that maybe it might work but even he wasn’t willing to risk her life on a maybe. _Damn it Angie I hope for your sake it works._

****

Devil’s traps weren’t hard to make once you got the hang of it. Once ingrained in the memory, you could draw it in your sleep if you could. The whole second nature thing allowed you to think about other things even if they were the worst things possible. That’s what Sam was doing as he was finishing the devil’s trap that was to remain visible.

He was thinking about what he learned. There was a cure to being a werewolf and she had it the whole time. She had it while he and Dean were spinning their wheels. She could have done something. Then Madison would still be alive. Why? Why didn’t she do it? Nothing had been stopping her from doing it. Even though she and Dean weren’t on speaking terms then, she was there. She could have done something.

“Do you need any more spray paint?”

Sam looked up from his handiwork to see her. He really didn’t want to talk to her. He was afraid he was going to say something that he didn’t mean like he did at Darby but he was hurt and angry. She was a good person. She wasn’t petty or anything like that and did she really have to follow that natural order thing.

Angela knew he was ignoring her. She didn’t blame him. She stood there holding the extra can. She had finished one that was hidden under scrub brush and had some extra. Taking initiative, she walked over and placed the can nearby. She stayed kneeling for some time while he continued to work. Finally she said, “Madison told me not to after I found her in an alleyway. I said it was worth it. She didn’t think the risk worth it.” She then stood up and walked to go find a vantage point to take care of the boy.

Sam heard every word. It was enigmatic but what Angela said, he knew she didn’t lie. She would never lie about things like that. Hell he didn’t even give her a chance to explain. He turned but found her gone and he was left with a spray can which he needed. He picked it up and held it. She always knew what was needed and still she had to ask. If he hadn’t known by now he certainly knew that it was her roundabout way of asking if he wanted to talk. He didn’t want this to be like Darby. He finished what he was doing and went to look for her.

Sam found her finishing a carving into a really big tree. She was muttering something and he could pick up words. At least he thought they were real words. It sounded almost like a chant as she used her knife to finish her carving. When she finished, she stood there looking at it for a moment before turning. At least he was in her way. She stopped suddenly and just stared. Then she said, “I trust that was enough paint?”

Sam resisted the eye roll and replied, “Thanks.”

“That should do. Dean and Roman should be finished.” Angela looked around. She made this trap as a precaution. It was a type of devil’s trap but coordinated using five trees as the points of the trap. The demon wouldn’t know he was in a trap until he stepped into it. “This should do well once we get the demon out.”

Sam took a look around. He recognized the symbols from the devil’s trap she drew in his and Dean’s room. “It would probably be better to get him here then. To exorcise him I mean.”

“That’s a good move.”

It was starting to sound nothing more than superficial politeness. Sam knew he was going to have to change the pace of things if he wanted to get to the crux of the issue. “Why did Madi tell you not to?”

“As I said, the risk wasn’t worth it.” Angela checked her bag to make sure the vials weren’t jostled. She checked for her chakram and mentally rattled off last minute things that could be missed.

“What do you mean by that?”

“All cures have a risk. It’s why doctors _practice_ medicine.” Angela looked up at the sky and moved her head. They were near the underground river entrances and the traps had been set at various intervals. Her best bet with Nate would be underground near the river. “In this case administering with a biting and snapping thing.”

“But you would stick your arm into a vampire’s teeth. What makes this so different?” Sam could buy her response. He knew her well enough to know that she calculated her risks though some tended to be on the spot and split decisions. When she had time to plan, she was good at it. Sometimes though it seemed that she made up things as she went and those were times he wondered if she was just plain lucky.

“A stranger offering help with no strings attached… not often snapped up.” Angela looked around and moved her head to listen. There were no sounds except she could pick up the faint sound of water from the river. She took a tentative sniff. She could smell demon everywhere with the wet dog smell. They had been clever. Looking up once more, she could see the moon starting to pass over and she glanced at her watch. “We should go now.”

Sam started to say something but Angela was already walking off. He noticed though that she left Absolution behind. He figured she must have taken it off to do her sigil making and had forgotten. That even sounded unlikely since she was not one to forget things like that. There was also the possibility that she was leaving it there just in case since the sword was like Ruby’s knife and it could kill a demon; a more precious thing since Bela stole the Colt.

Still something didn’t seem right about it being there. Obeying the feeling, he picked it up and carried it in his hands. He followed the direction that Angela had taken and was joined by Dean and Roman who tossed a small pack next to a rock. Angela was nowhere in sight as they came to the entrance. Sam asked, “Dean… where is Angie?”

Dean checked around to make sure that she wasn’t playing a game of hide and seek or something like that. Knowing her, she probably already was in there and making sure the way was clear. He replied, “I think she’s already in there.”

“She is,” Roman confirmed as he pulled his shirt off. “She mentioned something about scouting out the place.”

If that sounded strange since they were dealing with one demon, Sam and Dean said nothing. There was always the possibility that there were traps of varying kinds. They learned that well in Wyoming and that Indian reservation; well Sam more than Dean but still it was a big lesson to learn. “Okay and what are you doing kid?” Dean looked at Roman with a raised brow. Rarely had he seen someone take off their shirt and toss it aside to go into a battle against a demon.

Roman gave a slight grin as he paused. “You have any idea how much wear and tear on the clothes my wolf trick does? Believe me shirts are a bitch.”

“Whatever you say kid,” Dean replied. He remembered seeing Lykos do that and of course he had seen the kid. He could see the difference between the two and to be honest he was a bit surprised at that. “Go do your thing.”

“And I’m sure you’ve heard of waiting for the opportune moment?”

There really was no answer for that since they did that do when they had seat of the pants moments. The brothers shared a look and shrugged at each other and started in. Dean pulled out his gun and noticed that Sam had Absolution and asked, “How come you have him?”

Sam looked at the sheathed blade and then at his brother and replied, “Angie left it behind.”

Dean raised his brow in consternation. “That doesn’t sound like her.”

“None of this sounds like her. I mean she mentioned that she offered to help Madison but she refused and mentioned something about risk outweighing the reward.”

Dean listened to the conversation. So she did tell him if a little bit. Knowing her though, she wouldn’t have gone into details. Since they were on a case, all her focus would be on the case. She would sound a bit clipped at times but that was the focus talking. Dean knew though that there was a lot more riding on her choice in how much to tell Sam. “Well the hard part is getting it to the werewolf and she’s a healer. Sometimes there is a risk.”

It sounded a bit lame and Dean felt like he was lying to Sam. Yet he was going with what she said and it was the truth. Sam seemed to accept it and they followed Roman into the cavern and were immediately surprised and overwhelmed by the vastness of the underground cavern.

****

She was no spy but Angela had experience slinking through hideouts of the enemy while looking for hundreds of countermeasures like sentries and traps. It was only one demon but you couldn’t give an inch. She ran through on the balls of her feet making as little noise as possible and relied on her enhanced vision to see in the darkness of the caverns. Her sense of smell would be able to help her as well.

If she stopped to think about it, she would have laughed at how clichéd it was for demon and any other creatures to camp out in caves. It was probably some sort of appeal and often times most humans avoided them simply because of those horror stories. As of now though, she was focused on getting the kids out. She was hoping to find Nikki and get him out; Roman would be good for that. Then she would focus on Nate and that business. The demon she had confidence that the boys would take care of it.

She made a turn and looked around. She found a passage that went down at a slope and followed it. She heard shuffling at the end of the passage and slowed down. There was no reason to alarm whoever it was to her presence. Slowly she pulled out her 9mm Beretta and held it in front of her. They were silver rounds and they wouldn’t do any good against a possessed werewolf. It might slow them down but that was about it.

Narrowing her eyes, she was able to make out a boy. It wasn’t Nikki. She immediately guessed it to be Nate. She ventured, “Nate?”

The boy stopped and looked at her. “Who are you?”

Angela lowered her gun and took a good look at the boy. He was agitated and could see that he was probably thinking that his temperature was up. She inched closer to allow herself to be seen. “I’m a friend.”

“If you’re a friend, you need to get Nikki out. He’s my brother.”

Angela managed to get close enough to see that she was in the well portion. She couldn’t see the moon. That was somewhat of a good thing but not entirely since Nate would turn anyway. She couldn’t help but give a wry smile. The kid was like Dean putting concern for his little brother above himself. Probably the kid knew what was going on with him or some idea of it. She replied, “I’m here for your brother too. Where is he?”

“The black eyed bastard took him. He wanted Nikki to tell him about an angel lady. Are you her?”

Angela sighed. She couldn’t be upset. The kid had that much faith in her. She had no idea why people put so much faith in her. “He seems to think so,” she replied.

“Then do what you have to do. Even if it means you have to let me go.” Nate then took in a breath. “Look I know something is up with me. Maybe I can buy you some time while you get Nikki out.”

Angela debated internally what to do. She could set him free and he could cause havoc and distract the demon. However that could put the boys at risk. She didn’t want to do that. She quickly looked at the boy and what was keeping him there. It was fairly thick rope but it must have been torn easily when he turned the other night. Then again he had been infected and it was like a human on PCP. There was no guarantee that it would work again. Fishing into her inside jacket pocket she found one of her switchblades. She closed her fingers around it. She closed her eyes and made her decision and slowly took her hand out of her pocket. “Here,” and she tossed it to him.

“Thanks. Go help my brother. Don’t let that bastard do anything to him.”

Angela nodded and turned to head back to the entrance to the passage. She paused to take in a good whiff. She would have to follow the demon scent. That was her best option since she wasn’t familiar with Nikki’s scent. Having caught it, she began to follow it and hoped that she made the right decision. She just hoped that it wouldn’t come back to bite her in the ass.

The sound of the river caught her attention as she got closer. She looked at the ground. It was very sandy. Marjorie did say that the well was connected to the underground river. _Well it’s a good thing there is no storm tonight and no worries on a flash flood_ , she thought to herself as she heard voices. One was older and the other was younger. The younger voice she recognized as Nikki’s and he sounded scared. She felt her throat convulse in that familiar feeling. Time to end this.


	13. Chapter 13

Nikki looked at the man Jenkins. He didn’t like him and he was scared. He didn’t like the fact that he wanted to hear about the angel lady. Something told him that whatever he said would be bad. He looked at the man as he paced through the cavern with a thoughtful expression. They were near the river and he was scared at what could happen.

“Tell me about this angel lady. What does she look like?”

Nikki looked at the man. He didn’t say anything at first. His lower lip trembled.

Jenkins turned to look at Nikki. He walked till he was closer and he let the boy see the inky black of his eyes. “Tell me about her. What does she look like?”

Nikki trembled. He was scared and wanted his big brother. He didn’t want to tell the bad man about the angel lady. Yet he could see that the man could get angry. He swallowed and said, “She’s pretty.”

Jenkins gave a slight eye roll even though it couldn’t be seen clearly since his eyes were black. All kids would say something like that. “Keep going.”

“She has dark hair and light brown skin.”

Jenkins nodded thoughtfully. He saw her the night before when she purged the meat suit he was riding of the virus. All that experimentation for nothing but it provided some interesting answers. He was deeply interesting in the woman. “Anything else little boy?”

Nikki gulped as he replied, “Her eyes were like the sun and she had a smile…”

Jenkins started laughing. He was amused by the description of the woman. It was typical of what a little boy would describe her as. He was curious as to why he kept referring to her as an angel lady. “You have a very good description little one. I am curious though. Why do you call her the angel lady?”

Nikki shrank back. He didn’t say anything. “I told you what you wanted to know.”

“You didn’t tell me everything. Why is she the angel lady?”

“I told you when you asked for what she looked like.” He didn’t want to tell the man that he just knew that she was an angel lady and what her name was.

“Tell me why she is called the angel lady.”

“I told you,” Nikki replied as he backed away from the man. His voice trembled with fear as he said it. He wanted to run but the man kept advancing.

“No you haven’t brat. Tell me why you thing she is so goddamn important!” Jenkins shoved Nikki hard and he watched as the boy fell. “Tell me or I will tear your eyes out and wear them as a necklace.” He leaned in close and grabbed Nikki by his shirt front. He shook him in the process as if that would get him to reveal everything.

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you that scaring children is not the best way to gain their cooperation?”

Jenkins held onto Nikki by his shirtfront. He looked in the direction of the voice. He saw a tall shadow but instead of a man, it was a woman. He replied, “So you’ve found me. I was hoping you would.” He held fast to Nikki with one hand and motioned towards the shadow. “Well there’s no need to stand on impoliteness. Introduce yourself.”

Angela stepped from the shadows and replied, “I hardly think my name is worth knowing since your fate will be like that of your friend’s.”

Jenkins grinned at that. So she was the one who sent his partner to the pit. “So you were the one that sent my brother to the pit. Interesting that you used a particular sort of ritual and I wonder why. Certainly it wasn’t because I have this boy?”

Angela felt her eye twitch slightly. Nikki was scared and she could see that. Poor thing was going to see things that he shouldn’t be seeing. Maybe she could call down Wosret and have her do a memory thing. Maybe she might even call her old friend since he always was good at the memory thing. She could recall all the times that she had asked for his help in a memory wipe.

Right now her focus was on getting Nikki out and back to his mother. She replied, “That you have the boy is why I am here. Where you go, I’ll enjoy sending there.”

Jenkins grinned. He was liking this one. He couldn’t help but chuckle and he replied, “Oh I am sure you would like that but I am sure that you wouldn’t do anything to risk the boy. After all as soon as you move, I would be faster in snapping his neck.” He moved to show that he was serious about it. He was curious about the woman’s reaction to this. She was no ordinary hunter. That much he could tell since she was able to send his brother to the pit and to a specific part of the pit. That presented a challenge.

Angela knew to take any and all threats seriously. She had been called a killer and even referred to herself as that but she never willingly put anyone’s life in danger especially a child’s. She had to think this one through. She tensed her body and glanced with her eyes around the area and then at the boy and the demon. She was still in shadow so she had one idea.

With slow and deliberate movements, she reached for her chakram. She said, “Well you are obviously quite fast and probably too fast for me.”

“Bullshit.”

Angela gave a smirk and shrugged. She gave a slight chuckle and replied, “You’re right. That is bullshit.” With a lightning fast move she whipped her chakram out confident in her aim.

It was good as it hit the demon on the arm holding Nikki. It sliced deep and it forced the demon to let the boy go. At the same time Angela charged forward with a war cry and tackled the demon. Nikki had been knocked free and fell to the ground. He scampered out of the way to watch the fight. At the moment he had a chance to run but he couldn’t. He just watched.

Angela tackled the demon and they rolled on the ground. She let go and rolled to her feet in a crouched position. At the same time she picked up her chakram where it had fallen into the ground and put it back on her belt. She was waiting for the demon’s attack and countered the strikes. They were hard as a demon could make them and she dealt it back.

When they grappled, the Jenkins said, “You’re not like the others. You’ve got backbone.”

“Yeah I’m just full of surprises,” Angela countered as she gave a strike to the face.

Jenkins staggered and then gave a fierce backhand to Angela and caught her across the face. Time to get serious now and he watched as she staggered back. “So you want to play it that way?” He then began to change into the werewolf half.

Angela spied Nikki and shouted, “Run!”

Jenkins had turned then and looked in the direction of Nikki and then at Angela and growled with a huge grin. The eyes were pitch black but the werewolf was there. He took off after Nikki but Angela was faster. She tackled Jenkins and straddled him to give repeated hits to the face and it worked for the most part until Jenkins hit her across the face and raked his sharp nails across her upper arms and shoved her off.

Angela’s adrenaline was up and she charged again. She and Jenkins tackled at it again. She took a hard blow that winded her and allowed Jenkins to get another blow in and slam her against the wall of the cavern. She was down and that left the werewolf/demon to go after Nikki. She shouted to the roof, “Run Nikki, run!”

Nikki finally obeyed the order when the man turned towards him. He started to run in the direction he saw the angel lady come from. He tripped and fell. He turned and looked to see the man almost on him. Suddenly something jumped on the man and they rolled away. It allowed Nikki to get up and run but he paused to look and he recognized his brother as he got thrown away. He landed close and looked at him ready to… Nikki didn’t know what.

At that moment, when Nate lunged and Nikki could see the other getting ready to leap, the angel lady leapt and grabbed his brother and flung an open palm at the man. The man flew back and she flung Nate aside. She turned and he saw her eyes flicker like they were glowing. Nikki didn’t have to be told he took off running. He didn’t see the battle that ended up with Jenkins chasing after him while Angela stopped Nate from going after him.

****

The war cry echoed through the caverns and Sam and Dean knew that Angela must have found the demon. They looked at each other and started running. They didn’t even notice that Roman had changed into his wolf form and he was fairly huge. Their concern was their friend and sister in arms and of course the boys.

They ran until they saw a little boy running towards him and following close behind was their demon werewolf charging at full speed. It was second nature for Sam and Dean to draw their weapons. They didn’t need to for as Nikki came running and ended up colliding with Sam’s legs, Roman had charged forward baring his teeth and growling. The two collided and Roman pinned the werewolf.

The demon though was not through and used its power to fling Roman aside and get to his feet. He stood and said, “So there are two more hunters? Excellent.” He started walking towards them. When he saw Roman struggling to get up he kicked him in the shoulder and that sent him across the ground.

“Sam, get the kid out,” Dean whispered as he pointed his gun and shot a silver round off. It hit the demon werewolf in shoulder. “Go Sam,” he repeated as he started pushing them and stepping back.

“Dean.”

“Do it Sam.”

Sam didn’t want to but he had to get the kid out he started pushing the kid towards the exit. He kept looking back to make sure that Dean was following. As it turned out Roman had gotten back on his feet and followed Sam. Sam had an idea and beckoned for Roman to come close. He looked at Nikki and said, “Hey kid I’m gonna put you on my friend here. He’ll get you out. Okay?”

“Are you going to help the angel lady? She’s with my brother. I think he might hurt her.”

Sam replied as he hoisted the kid onto Roman’s back, “Don’t worry. We’ll get them both.” He gave a pat on Roman’s back and turned back to go help his brother.

Nikki watched as Sam left and went with Roman. Meanwhile Sam managed to catch up to Dean and pulled out his gun while still holding onto Absolution. Dean was ready to turn tail and run when he saw Sam and hissed, “I told you to get out.”

“The kid is fine Dean. I’m not leaving you to be dog chow.”

“Well that’s moot now. I think he’s pissed off.”

“No shit.”

“Shut up bitch and run.”

They didn’t have to look behind them to know that the demon was following them. It was laughing and taunting them saying that they could run but they couldn’t hide. It was a stupid child’s taunt and it was tempting to go back and attack the thing. Yet Dean could understand what Angela wanted to do with it and wanted to get the thing in a trap and exorcise the demon. What the werewolf did after that, they could deal with it. At least then it was the werewolf acting on his own and they could act then. They had to get it into one of the devil’s traps.

Sam was in the same mind frame but he figured that the other ones weren’t going to do it. He was proven right when the demon trail blazed through one that Dean made. He was as stunned as Dean since most demons once inside were effectively trapped. In Sam’s mind, the only chance they had was the one that Angela made. It was in the trees and not easily seen. They just had to get the demon there so Sam took off in the direction of the trap.

Dean had little choice but to follow and that was after he cursed, “Sonofabitch Sam!”

They were almost there when suddenly they were lifted off their feet and flung aside. Jenkins the demon was laughing. “You thought you could slow me down with those itty bitty traps? Not a good idea.”

Both Winchesters grunted but Sam was on his feet first. Out of reaction he pulled out Absolution and pointed it at the demon. He had no idea what to do but he felt a strange sensation from the handle. She always insisted that it was a living being and he humored her since he had never heard of such a thing but then he had to wonder if there really was such a thing.

Jenkins laughed at Sam, “You think that little stick is going to work?”

Sam felt the sword pulse like it was indignant at being called a little stick. He held it pointed at the demon and stood his ground even though Dean told him not to be stupid. He waited until the demon charged and he stepped aside and swung. He knew he made contact because the demon screamed in pain.

Jenkins looked at the wound on his arm and then at the hunter holding the blade. He knew only one demon that had a blade that burned because it could kill a demon and that was Ruby. This was different though. In retaliation he pinned Sam to the ground and demanded, “Where did you get that?”

Dean managed to get to his feet and was going to shoot the bastard. Suddenly the demon turned and pinned him to a tree and said, “You are next.” The demon then whirled to look at Sam and in a fit of temper, gave a kick to his midsection, “Tell me, where did you get that blade?”

“Leave him alone you bully!” It was followed by a rock hitting him in the back of the head.

Jenkins turned just in time to catch the boy Nikki throwing a rock that hit him square in the chest. In a fit of anger he marched forward, “You are seriously asking for it boy. Perhaps I will turn you like I did your brother.” He was hit with another rock for his troubles and he growled as he advanced ready to teach the boy a lesson. What happened next was a surprise.

Jenkins was almost to the boy when suddenly there was a loud howl. It was followed by a huge wolf bounding out and with a fierce body shot. It sent him flying across the ground right where Sam and Dean were trying to get him in the first place. He tried going after them but was stopped by the trap and he looked around.

It was Dean who pointed out the sigils and was given a scowl. The demon was trapped. He helped Sam to his feet as he was rubbing his midsection. Time to do the exorcism.

“I can do it,” Roman said as he appeared in his human form. “Your friend gave me the script. You should go and help her.” He motioned with his eyes.

Dean understood and was hesitant. He glanced at Sam and could see that he wanted to go but he was also stuck in the frame of mind to stay and finish the job. Sam looked back at him.

“Go. You know the risks,” Roman said and turned his back towards them. He pulled out the scrap of paper and started reciting the Latin perfectly. The response was the demon growling as he felt the pain of being exorcised.

Dean could tell that the kid had everything under control. They could go and give Angela a hand but he was reluctant for Sam to see the worst happen if it did. Still she could need help. “Looks like the kid has everything under control.” He started walking back and noticed the little kid watching and looking a little proud to have helped.

Sam followed somewhat reassured that Roman was taking care of the exorcism. Yet something he said had him thinking. So he followed Dean blindly until they came back to the entrance when he asked, “What did he mean by risks Dean?”

****

Angela knew the risks giving Nate the means to get free. She just didn’t anticipate how quickly he would go all wolf like on her. At the time when the demon gave her a good pounding she was down but not for the count. However she couldn’t get up fast enough to stop the demon from going after Nikki. It was good timing that Nate came out when he did and slowed the demon down.

If she had to venture a guess, she suspected that Nate’s devotion to his brother was what drove him to attack the demon and protect his brother. She was surprised that he held up so well and as long as he did. It was inevitable that his werewolf nature took over and he saw his brother as food. So she reacted and grabbed Nate once she was on her feet and since the demon was back up she used what she had; she used her powers. That was when she told Nikki to go.

She had to admit that for a split second that it hurt that Nikki had to see that and her eyes. She knew that they were reflecting her use of power. The kid had such faith in her and he had this child like innocent in calling her an angel and all he got for his trouble was a monster. At least she didn’t show him her teeth. That definitely would have sent him screaming to the hills. Then again she probably should have done that and got him out sooner. Either way she was now there with Nate and a glance at her watch, the watch Dean gave her, (thank God he chose one with a glow in the dark feature) told her that she had roughly five minutes to get the stuff in her system and have it pass through the blood into him.

Nate now was growling at her and ready to attack. He lunged at her and she leapt away. She could play keep away since she was good at that game. Hell Sam liked playing that game with especially if he thought that she was hiding behind something. Her pack was near the way out. She had put it there when she got close. She didn’t want to risk breaking the vials and not having any chance.

The next move she did a sort of dive that was like a cartwheel. She gave a slight grin and said, “Come on. I know you want to get me so get me!”

Nate saw her. He didn’t want to attack her. He knew that she had protected his brother but he was felt with this overwhelming urge to attack. He felt hungry, very hungry. At her taunting, he lunged and ended up missing.

Angela dodged. She was one step closer to getting the vial. The pack was there. She just had to leap. At the next charge, she did but it seemed that Nate got a little smarter and actually got her across the back of her neck. She felt the nails scratch the skin and the burn that followed as she followed through with a somersault.

She landed near the pack and grabbed it. She pulled out one vial just as Nate rounded the corner. She backed away from the swipe but his hand hit her hand that held the vial. She watched it sail into the darkness. Looking down she grabbed the pack by its strap and jumped away. She didn’t want to hurt the boy but when he swung at her, she swung back with a backhand. That would buy her some time.

She skirted around the shadows trying to hide. She rubbed the back of her neck to dispel the pain. She had been startled when he showed up all of a sudden and punched her. She fell back from surprise and the sheer force of the blow. The pack was out in front of her and she watched as Nate stepped on it and she could hear the crunch of glass indicating that the second vial had been broken. That was it.

Angela backed away quickly. She hadn’t wanted it to come to this. She looked at her watch. There were two minutes left and she had nothing left. She sighed in defeat. The only other option would be to tie up the boy. She was not going to kill him. That was a certainty. She jumped back into the shadows trying to catch her breath and figure out what she was going to do.

Suddenly her eye caught a glint. There was no light but she did have a flashlight which she had tossed aside when she came in. It was reflecting on a piece of glass. Her eyes followed the glint and saw that it was the vial Nate had knocked away. She looked and saw Nate stalking her. She had a chance if she made a cold sprint for it. She could take that chance since there was now less than a minute.

Taking the chance she broke into a run. She heard the growl of Nate as he gave chase. She couldn’t afford to look back though. She had to keep going. She fixed her hearing towards Nate’s advance while she kept her eyes forward. When it became apparent that he was gaining, she put an extra spring into her muscles and leapt in a forward flip.

Her hands closed on the vial and she somersaulted forward. As she came out of it in an upright position, she turned on the balls of her feet. In a deft move, she uncorked the vial and downed the contents. It certainly tasted better than it smelled. Now there was only one thing left to do and that was the passing through the blood. Glancing at her watch she saw that it was twelve seconds. Looking up Nate was looking at her ready to charge. There was one way she knew that would get him to move.

Making the decision she let her teeth elongate to reveal her fangs. Her eyes glowed and she gave a hissing sound. She knew that it would appeal to the werewolf instinct to attack. After all vampires and werewolves were bred to be enemies and that could be considered ancient history since the vast majority got along pretty well. However it was hard to deny centuries or millennia of instinct and inbred hatred. That was what Angela was counting on as she slipped her jacket off her shoulders and bared her fangs.

It worked and Nate obeyed that impulse and attacked. Deep within, Angela felt her own urges crop up and wanted to obey by charging. She made a late start and charged forth and sprung as Nate did. It was like those classic clashes one sees in the movies as they collided in midair. It was more of a grappling effect as they stood toe to toe and held on. Each were hitting each other with their hands though Nate was dishing out more since Angela had enough sense to try and not hurt the kid any more than necessary.

She didn’t notice that they were near a steep slope since she was more focused trying to get Nate to bite her. She then hissed some taunting words in the old vampire language and that did it. Nate got through or rather she let him in and he took a huge bite on her left shoulder right on the collar bone. Due to the momentum and a single step, she slipped and they both toppled down the steep slope. She held on and kept Nate’s teeth clamped on and muttered, “Come on and taste it.” She didn’t see Sam and Dean run in just as Nate dealt the blow but heard protests coming from Sam.

They slide down until they hit the bottom. It was only then that Angela let go and Nate rolled a little away from her. She heard moans full of pain coming from him but she felt powerless to move as her own shoulder was burning; like a lethal poison had been injected into her body. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes but couldn’t help but hiss out with her fangs bared.

_“Hey Cat keep your hands away from the teeth. Fluffy here is still twitching.”_

_“Why? I want to ease the passing.”_

_“Cat there is a reason why vamps and werewolves tend to avoid each other especially the mouth end of business.”_

_“We get along now Gabe. Why?”_

_“You guys were bred to kill each other. The bites you inflict on one another can be lethal. Few have ever survived.”_

It was like a flashback as Angela put a hand to where Nate bit her. She could feel the burn there and throughout her body and could finally understand. She wasn’t safe because she was half human. She was just as susceptible because of the few genes she had. Nearby she heard Nate moan but they were no longer animalistic which was a good thing as she gritted her teeth in pain. The last thing she saw was Nate’s face hovering over hers and asking her if she was okay before she passed out… again.


	14. Chapter 14

“And you didn’t think to tell me this? Why didn’t you stop her?”

Dean looked at his brother who was oscillating between a mixture of being pissed and worried. Oh yeah he knew this was going to happen the minute he opened his big mouth and said that the cure was not a simple potion. When he got to the part that it needed to be passed through the blood of the mortal enemy part and happened to mention that a werewolf bite could kill a vamp, he expected Sam to explode and shout at him. The quiet and uncharacteristic calm that happened was disturbing. He replied, “I should have said something and I did make her promise to say something to you. I’m guessing that she didn’t.”

“She said something alright and I was an idiot to not pay attention,” Sam said as he started forward into the caverns.

It was not a relief to Dean that Sam didn’t seem overly pissed at him. In fact he would rather have that. From the tone of voice, it sounded like he was pissed at her. “Sam, don’t be mad with her…”

Sam didn’t say anything but continued to walk. Was he pissed at her? Yes since she decided to do something stupid and she promised. Would he stay pissed? That was up for debate. As far as he was concerned, she promised that she would be more careful with herself. In his mind this was anything but that and to hell with the fact that she may have weighed the consequences.

Dean could tell his brother was pissed at her. He couldn’t help but shake his head at that. Stupid girl thought it was better in the long run that he was pissed at her? That was stupid and… Now he was getting pissed with her for being stupid. It had him also wondering what the hell happened to her to make her think that she had to have everybody she met not like her. It was like she was afraid of getting too close and now that she had she was too scared to know what to do and thought that making her appear to be a monster would work.

Maybe he should have fought harder against her decision but she was determined to go through with it. Now she had a pissed off Sam and he was in the middle but hey he could handle it. It was like dealing with Sam when they were little when it came to her and her emotions. It occurred to him that Sam may have a right to be pissed but he needed to be pissed for the right reasons instead of the wrong ones. That was something she would do and it occurred to Dean that she may have given Sam the right reason but he was ignoring it or latched onto the wrong word.

As it were, Sam was pissed that she was doing the cure thing because it was a kid and trying to save him. He didn’t know her motivation aside from that and the promise she made to the kids’ mom. Dean knew he had to set the record straight. “Sam…”

“What Dean? We have to get there and stop her. There’s less than three minutes left before the peak of the full moon.” Sam stopped and gave a look at his brother.

“Hey if you’re gonna be pissed over this, be pissed for the right reasons.”

“I think the stupidity of it is a good reason to be pissed,” Sam countered and started off again leaving Dean to scowl at nothing. Apparently he wasn’t in the mood for a talk at the moment.

It took longer than before to get there and Sam was beginning to get worried. He was pissed and he was worried. His mind was screaming with the rhetorical question of whether or not she had a death wish and shouting near obscenities that she was the stupidest person alive. It was prompting to the mantra that he had to get there to help her.

It worked for the most part and he and Dean were actually sprinting towards what appeared to be growling sounds. He and Dean managed to come out and he saw Angela and the kid Nate standing toe to toe each striking each other with such ferocity. It was actually surprise to see the eyes going full force and the teeth from her as they tossed each other around but neither one letting go.

It was like moving in slow motion when Nate took the opening she gave him and bit her on the collarbone. Sam couldn’t help but yell out her name and shouted, “No!” It was still moving in slow motion when they slipped out of sight down a steep embankment that was hidden by darkness.

Sam raced to the edge along with Dean. Dean managed to hold back his brother’s tall frame from going over. “Sam, wait.”

“Dean, she’s down there…” Sam trailed off. The damage had been done and now she was at the bottom more than likely being poisoned to death. He couldn’t help but shout, “Angie!”

****

_Boy oh boy Cat. You certainly know how to make a scene._

Angela opened her eyes to find herself in a strange place. It didn’t feel like Isis’ realm but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t. Or she could be in hell which certainly loved playing with your memories and warping them for their own purposes. There was also the possibility that it was heaven and she was probably stuck at the processing center… if that was how things were done upstairs.

She looked around and saw that she had never seen this place before. That it was an apartment setting was the obvious. Even more obvious was that it was designed for a single guy that would be the equivalent of a high roller in Vegas. She looked at herself and found she was in her hunting gear but less of a mess; she totally didn’t blend in.

“Normally I would give you a different look Cat but I figured best to get to business.”

Angela turned to towards the voice. She felt the smile form and feelings of relief; that she had been forgiven filling her. “Gabe, it’s good to see you.” Then she frowned, “Am I dead?”

Gabriel stood there trying to take in the fact that this was the first time he was face to face with his Cat. He had been taking care of some arrogant asses when Wosret dropped by and told him what Cat was trying to do. At first he was going to let her do it and teach her a lesson but in his heart he knew that he couldn’t abandon her. He never did really but just kept out of sight. Now she was here and he had to set things right otherwise there would be chaos.

At this moment he took in the fact that she had changed little except she grew a bit more angular. She was a little thinner and a bit leaner and the fat was replaced by muscle. She still had the pretty face he fell in love with when he first met her. He listened to her reply and chuckled, “Well you are dead but not completely.”

“Right because there are several levels of dead and someone is not dead unless they are completely dead,” Angela replied automatically. “So where is the Lady? This is her realm… if that is where I am at.”

“I said I would handle this Cat,” Gabriel replied. “Now I know that she has this thing about letting you choose but I am bypassing that. That and lil’ bro would end up doing something stupid and you remember the last time that happened.”

“Hell raiser,” Angela replied with a slight smirk.

“And you love me for it,” Gabriel countered.

“You know I do.”

Gabriel chuckled. He had missed this and it was easy to pick up where they left off. “Anyway, I’m sending you back since I can.”

“And what if I don’t want to go?”

Gabriel gave her a dry look. “You really want to go that route Sister? I know you don’t want to go up or down so I’m sending ya back down to earth. Quit thinking that no one cares because that is plain stupid and just not true.”

“So you came to give me a lecture then. It’s not you Gabe,” Angela replied softly as she reached out to touch the archangel’s face. She just had to touch to make sure that it wasn’t even a twisted form of a dream messing with her. She stroked the locks and observed him. “I know but you know why and that it is hard. We all have comfort zones that we fall back to. I’m ready to go back and if you want you can make it so I can fight my way back, feel free to do it.”

Gabriel let her fingers brushed his hair as if she were trying to fix it. It had been too long. “You know I can always do that but I won’t for you.” He reached out and touched her cheek, the same one that had gotten scratched by Nate. “I know why you did this. Just don’t make it a habit too much. It’s all about learning the limits.”

Angela nodded knowing that lesson pretty well. “Yep it is only when you leap and fall that you learn you can fly.” She knew that her decisions of late regarding her feelings and the whole doing this cure by telling Dean but not Sam… it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair to him since she valued his opinion as much as Dean’s.

“Wise words Sis. You know that after this stunt, you’ll be considered connected to your furry friends but that doesn’t mean immunity,” Gabriel replied as he lowered his hand. “Well time to go.”

“Before people begin to think I actually have a life. Don’t’ take too long to say hello,” Angela finished teasing. She stood ready and closed her eyes while Gabriel did his mojo to send her back.

She opened her eyes to see a scared kid looking over her and asking her to wake up. She said, “Calm down Nate, I’m bloody awake.”

It spooked the kid that she was responding that fast. She looked at him and saw that at least he was okay except for some slight bruises. She smiled and added, “I’m alright kid.” She rotated the shoulder that he had bitten and found it sore but it was no longer burning. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Good then let’s get out of here since I promised your brother.” Angela stood slowly and teetered slightly. Once on firm ground, she looked up the steep embankment. She could make out Sam and Dean peering over the edge. She shouted for them to give a hand.

****

“Thank you so much.”

Angela gave a slight smile as she watched Marjorie hug her boys. It made the chance she took worthwhile to see that scene and she was happy that this case ended on a happy note. Once she was on her feet and called to Sam and Dean, they responded with the rope they retrieved from the first trap and she was able to pull herself with Nate hanging on back up though in the end it was Sam and Dean pulling them up.

They got the boys back to their mom after they had a brother moment and Nate gave a good natured punch to Roman’s shoulder. Now they were back on the Thompson farm and their mom was making a fuss. Before meeting her, Angela managed to heal the bruises she inflicted on Nate even though she felt exhausted by the whole thing. She managed to say, “I gave my word ma’am.”

It meant more than that to Marjorie and even though it had been uttered in a slightly flat tone, she knew that to the woman her youngest put so much faith in was relieved that things worked out and was happy that she could give back her boys.

Nikki was fine. Aside from a little bit of dirt, he was relatively unscathed. Nate on the other hand had a couple of scratches but nothing too serious. He did look a little bit more muscular but other than that he was fine too. Marjorie considered it a miracle. When she looked up though, the three adults were gone having left the house silently. She frowned at that but then she figured that maybe it was how they rolled.

Nikki though had other ideas. He let go of his mom and ran out of the house leaving his brother and Roman there; he opted to stay behind before going back to his apartment. He caught sight of the three heading towards their black car. She was behind the two of them and they appeared to be talking. He started running and he was about to call out to the angel lady when she turned around. The moonlight was bright and it did look reddish from the reflecting of the sun but he saw something akin to a halo around her head. He ran up until he was about maybe a couple of feet away from her and said, “You weren’t going to say good bye?”

Angela looked at the boy and then back at Sam and Dean before taking the remaining steps until she was face to face with Nikki. She replied, “It’s what I do. I do a job and when it is finished, I go.”

“But what if someone wants to see you again?”

Angela smiled, “I have ways of knowing.” She studied the kid’s face. He was giving her the equivalent of the bitch face Sam gave her after she made light of what she did to help Nate. “Kid, most people don’t want to see me again and I’m fine with that.”

“I want to see you again. You gave me my brother back.”

“Why?”

“You’re an angel lady,” Nikki replied with a ‘no duh’ look on his face. “I want to see you again. I want to be your friend.”

Angela studied the boy. If she gave in she would be teased to high heaven by Dean for being a sucker to kids and no doubt he heard what Nikki called her. If she didn’t, she would hurt the kid’s feelings. She went with the former and replied, “I guess it wouldn’t be hard to be friends.” She fished in her pocket and pulled out one of her tattered business cards with her cell phone number on it. She held it out to Nikki and said, “You can give me a call if you like whenever there is trouble or to say hi.”

Nikki took the card and upon realizing what she had given to him he sprang forward and startled her by grabbing her around the waist in a hug. She held her arms up and looked down wondering what to do. She could hear Dean snickering and thought about dealing with him later; maybe a little payback with the kachina or something equally funny. Gently she patted Nikki’s head and ruffled his hair with a free hand.

Nikki grinned as he let go. He held the card in his hand and took a step back. “Thank you angel lady.”

“Angela, kiddo.” Angela smiled as she corrected the kid. She could hear Dean since the tone of adoration was evident in Nikki’s voice. He was so going to get it later.

Nikki grinned and replied, “That’s what I said.”

Angela smiled and replied, “You win Nick. You better get back to your mom.”

Nikki nodded liking the name she called him. He waved and said bye to Sam and Dean before turning back. In his hand he clenched her card.

Angela turned back and started walking the rest of the way to the car. It was Dean who asked with a grin, “So you got another admirer angel lady?”

She gave a wry look and replied, “Shut up Dean.” She didn’t mean it and Dean knew since he couldn’t help but laugh. Another case done.

****

“You know he’s going to stay pissed at you for a while.”

Angela continued to look up at the sky and studied the stars. For once she was not reclining but rather had her feet on the front bumper and sitting like she would on a curb. It felt good to change a bit. She replied to Dean as he leaned against the car next to her, “I know. I saw it in the bitch face.”

“And?”

Angela sighed, “What else is there Dean? You know I stink at soul searching and revealing feelings. Just as you and Sam are babies with certain things about hunting, I am a baby when it comes to feelings. I messed up.”

“Then you need to fix it,” Dean countered. For good measure, he handed her a beer he fished out of the cooler. It was some of that good stuff she introduced them to after Tennessee. Occasionally she bought some to stock up.

Angela accepted the brewski and took a sip. “Sometimes you can’t fix it.”

“I don’t think he understands your reasoning and that’s what’s bothering him,” Dean replied taking a sip out of his bottle. “I mentioned to him that you have a thing about keeping promises and you made a promise to the kid’s mom. I think he took it the wrong way and mentioned something about you being more careful.”

Angela nodded in understanding. Oh yeah she knew how much that meant to Sam. It helped to understand why he was an ass in Darby. He was that attached to her and saw her as a friend; as a family member to be protected when needed (that didn’t necessarily hold up since it seemed like 24/7 on Sam’s end) and watched out for. Dean was the same way and she finally got that. She felt like an idiot for not seeing it that way. She replied, “Oh yeah that would do it.”

“So you did make a promise?”

“Something like that right around our racing case,” Angela confirmed. She took a sip in order to not choke up on the explanation. She felt weird that it was so easy to talk to Dean about her feelings and he was so reluctant to do it on a general note. She wondered if he was doing it to humor her or he sucked it up like a man and really gave his opinion. “He sort of asked me if I had a death wish. I was being sarcastic about it but he made his case. He said something along the lines that we were a team and I shouldn’t leave you two out of the loop.”

“That’s a work in progress.”

“You got that one right though I think on the fly decisions don’t necessarily fall into that category.” Angela gave a slight smile in Dean’s direction as she held up her bottle for another sip. She rotated her shoulder where Nate bit her. It was a clean bite and it was healing. There would be a faint scar near the top of her shoulder since that was deepest but it would be so faint like the hell mutt’s bite and you could barely see it. The other scratches and bruises would heal and no scars; not even the ones on her cheek would remain.

Dean noticed her shoulder rotation and asked, “Still hurt?”

“From the bite yes. The burning from the bite; that died once I got over it.”

“Scarring?”

“More likely but very faint. Much like anything else that decides to be finicky.” She didn’t elaborate why it would remain. Even she was not sure at times why some scars remained and others disappeared.

“Was it worth it?”

“How can you ask that?” Angela looked at Dean and got her answer in the look he gave her. She knew what he meant. She sighed and replied, “Yes and no. Yes in that a mother has both her sons back. If it didn’t work, more likely he would be taken in by a clan and have it explained to him. The fact that Marjorie has him back made it worth it. No parent should have to lose a child. As to the no, it wasn’t worth it because it hurt someone and I don’t mean me.”

“I get that part Angie.”

“I did want to make it up to Sam and maybe do something about it because I could after Madison told me not to. You know she told me I was meant to do something more. What is it with people thinking they know me?” Angela took a sip of her beer. “I mean I followed her the moment she turned and tried to keep her from attacking someone and kept her company until you two showed up…”

Dean gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. “I know you said most people get a first reaction and it’s the Ice Bitch like when we first met. Yet your kindness shows Angie. It’s easy to see it even when you try to push people away except when you get serious and you want to kick ass like you did with Ruby.”

Angela hummed a laugh as she smiled. “Jobs I take seriously. I guess I can’t hide the desire to help people even when it’s a hopeless case like curing lycanthropy. I understand now why it isn’t used and should be buried. Funny how I paid only a rare herb for it and the cost for it to work is worth more. I should have backed down when I had the chance. Maybe I can fix it by torching it.”

Dean thought about it some. Yeah it wouldn’t be a good idea to go advertising it around that it was available. That didn’t mean it should be destroyed either. Maybe it was playing with fire having it around but there were ways of keeping it from being accessed like a hex box and a hiding place that couldn’t be found. Hell a place that even the two timing bitch Bela wouldn’t be able to get to.

As it were, he didn’t have to answer. He was certain he saw Angela go rigid maybe in fear when she heard Sam say, “You don’t have to do that Angie.”

Angela bit her lower lip in consternation. She felt nervous and afraid. It was nothing new being yelled at and blamed for stupidity and accidents. She used to get that all the time. It was different because it was Sam and she was aware that anything he said had the potential to hurt her and in her mind she deserved it. Carefully she replied, “I should. I’ve had several people tell me the cost is too high. Better that it be lost for good.”

Sam knew she was being careful in her response. If he said the wrong thing, it would give her an excuse to hide and probably behind the cat or Dean. He heard everything from the fact that she said Madison told her not to and that she had been there to keep her company. “Maybe buried in that people don’t know it exists like in a hex box or something and hidden. You could even stick it in the ground and bury it.”

“It’s playing with fire. There is always a chance that a two timing bitch like Bela would get a hold of it. Can’t let that happen.” Angela took another sip of her beer. At the rate she was going, she was going to have to get another and she wasn’t even enjoying the first one since it was the good stuff.

“Maybe there might be someone else who would be willing to take a chance,” Sam allowed. He looked at Dean who was shooting him the look that said he was on his own in this conversation. He was willing to take that and Dean would willfully ignore or play the mediator if needed to be.

“Maybe but sometimes it isn’t good to leave temptation out there. It’s like a bad drug habit and will cause more pain than good. Even a good healer knows that it isn’t worth it.” She glanced finally at Sam as she took a small sip of beer. Maybe she could consider getting drunk… like that was possible.

Sam knew her decision was final that she wanted to be rid of it. Yet he knew she would consider suggestions. She wasn’t a dictator. “At least give it to someone like Bobby. It’s not perfect but it removes temptation.”

Angela thought about it for a moment as she swung her bottle between her first and middle finger. She knew Sam was trying slowly to talk about it. She probably would have felt better had he shouted at her. This regular talk was more painful but more, ironically, healing. Maybe he was still pissed but at least he was trying to get past it and if he overheard their conversation… “Bobby would be a good choice. We can stop on the way back from the shaman.”

Sam nodded as he sat on her left since Dean was on the right. It probably wasn’t a good thing to box her in like that. She didn’t react too badly so he took it as a good sign. He looked at the stars like they were doing and after glancing at her profile, he said, “Thanks for trying… with Madi.”

“You’re welcome.” Angela returned the glance. She didn’t smile but was aware that her lower lip as quivering. This was one rocky boat and she was stuck for the duration of the cruise. She was going to have to figure out how to deal with the seasickness.

It was a start in Dean’s mind and it confirmed to him and Angela that Sam overheard their conversation. It could only go forward from there. Like she said, she was a baby with her emotions and he could help her with that. He was an expert after all. Well he had enough of the emo talk and said, “Now that chick flick moment is over, Angie, you think you can do the same thing with the tattoo thing but on me and maybe Samantha here?”

Angela couldn’t help but laugh even though Sam was giving him a bitch face. She could always count on Dean for a spontaneous moment like that. She pursed her lips while smiling and chuckling. She continued when Sam reached over behind her and slugged Dean saying, “Insensitive jerk.”

“Bitch,” Dean countered.

Angela continued to chuckle but she still was feeling bad for everything. Everything may have worked out in the end but it didn’t feel right. Sure she had those feelings before but then she was the Ice Bitch. She was cold and took it in a stride. _Yeah well those bastards never saw me like this. I bet they would laugh._ She finished her beer and just held the empty bottle for a time and stared forward looking at nothing. If she was bad over this, how was it going to be when Dean’s number came up and she couldn’t stop it?

She didn’t have an answer for it at the moment. She didn’t even have an answer for the gentle removal of her empty bottle and Sam putting a fresh cold one in her hands. She studied it before looking up and was greeted with his slight smile and held up his own beer. She responded by tapping hers to his. Baby steps and eye on the prize; she was on a learning curve. It might end up working out. She turned back to the conversation and asked, “Are you both serious about the tattoos? I remember the last time Sam.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap. Stay tuned for 2.12 Phoenix Rising...


End file.
